Love and Chemistry
by NurseB2012
Summary: My view of how the relationship between Paul 'Triple H' Levesque and Stephanie McMahon started. The story starts right in the beginning of the storyline. Includes the McMahons, Joanie 'Chyna' Laurer, and other chracters.
1. How it Started

Chapter 1

How it started.

Late 1999

For the first time in a long time Vince McMahon was out of idea. He had two major storylines and he didn't know which direction to take them. The first storyline was his escalating feud with Triple H, which he really enjoyed because over the years he had become close with the young man who became that character in the ring. Paul Levesque was young, smart, reliable, hard-working and passionate about the businesses which were all traits he admired. The other storyline that he was working on was the on-screen relationship between his daughter, Stephanie and one of his wrestlers, Test. The storyline started out interesting with interference from his son Shane. The opposition started out as interfering and eventually led to "Love Her or Leave Her" match, which test won and got to continue dating Stephanie. Now months later, the storyline was getting boring, they even gave Stephanie amnesia to keep it going but it was no longer working. What was working though, was Stephanie onscreen. He realized that he was not going to come up with ideas on his own so he decided to call a meeting later that week.

That Wednesday Vince called a meeting to discuss what to do with the storylines. At the meeting was his Wife and CEO of the WWF, Linda McMahon, his son Shane, some top members of the creative team, his daughter Stephanie and her onscreen beau Andrew Martin (AKA Test), and members of D-Generation X(Triple H, X-Pac, Chyna and the New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg)). Vince started the meeting off explaining that they were going to take all of their storylines in a new direction before they got boring and that he brought them there to discuss ideas. He told them that if they had any ideas to speak up. Vince mentioned possibly bringing back DX but that Chyna would continue her feud with Chris Jericho. He went on to say he wanted to merge the storylines with Triple H and Stephanie but wasn't sure how to. Someone mentioned Triple kidnapping Stephanie; they all agreed that she had already been kidnapped once and that would be boring to redo. Silence fell over the group for a few moments. Then Joanie Laurer aka Chyna, the real-life girlfriend of Triple H, spoke up suggesting that Triple H steal Stephanie from Test. Vince was intrigued and asked her to continue. She said that Trips would drug and marry Stephanie. Everyone was surprised by the idea but they loved the drama it would cause. Everyone was excited. They knew the fans would love it.


	2. So the Story comtinues

Chapter 2.

_So the story continues. _

In late November 1999, Stephanie McMahon was scheduled to marry Andrew "Test" Martin. The decorations were beautiful. The bride was stunning and the groom was beaming, ready to make her his wife. Everything was going great…until the music started. Triple H's entrance music blared through the speakers of the sold out arena as fans went crazy for the uninvited guest. To say Mr. McMahon was livid was an understatement. When asked to explain himself, Hunter definitely delivered. He even included video footage of his drive-thru nuptials to the Billion Dollar Princess.

Test was enraged.

Stephanie was hysterical.

Vince tried to console his daughter, while Trips laughed hysterically.

The fans went crazy.

Vince was definitely taking notice to their reactions and loved every minute of it.

After the show had come to close, Vince asked everyone involved in the wedding to meet him for a late dinner afterwards. He praised everyone's hard work especially Paul and Stephanie.

Over the next few weeks the feud between Vince and Triple H heated up. The feud included Stephanie trying to get Trips to sign annulment papers, which Trips would use as an opportunity to antagonize the McMahons with his sexual innuendo towards Stephanie.

Everything about the feud was working, but what Vince and creative noticed was how great Trips and Stephanie looked on screen together. Whenever they were together, everyone stopped to take notice. They had chemistry, so much that everyone knew that they had to keep them together onscreen. When Trips forcefully kissed Stephanie, a light bulb went of the Chairman of the board's mind and the McMahon-Helmsley Era was born.


	3. The Game

Chapter 3

The Game

Paul Levesque loved the business. He was living his dream. He got to travel and wrestler every day. He loved the WWF, and though things didn't always go his way, he was finally getting a big push; none bigger than a feud with the boss. Over the years he developed a close relationship with his boss, Vince McMahon. Paul truly admired the genius that was Mr. McMahon. He didn't always like the boss' decisions but he truly respected his dedication to doing what was right for the business.

After proving himself to the WWF and Vince, he was finally given a big storyline, and for the first time it was solo. It wasn't DX feuding McMahon it was the Game versus the chairman and he loved every minute of it.

After his character drugged and married the chairman's daughter, Vince decided that Stephanie was going to betray her father at their next pay-per view. Paul was excited about the storyline but also apprehensive about working with Stephanie. I mean he's only said a few words to her in all of the time he has known her, but now they are going to be playing husband and wife.

He just didn't know her, but was excited about the chance to get to know her. She was the boss's daughter though; he was just hoping she wasn't some spoiled brat. He was just going to enjoy being a heel while it lasts. His life was great.

Not only was his career on the upward tract, his personal life was good too. He had a great girlfriend, who was also one of his best friends, Joanie who wrestling fans knew as Chyna. She was smart, funny, great and supportive of his career. He really loved her.

Her only flaw was she was extremely jealous, but as long as he reassured her that she could trust him, things were good. That was another reason he was apprehensive about the storyline, he hoped that his onscreen PDA wouldn't cause drama because that's the last thing her needed. He was just ready. Ready to kick start a new era is his career and he couldn't have been any happier.


	4. The Billion Dollar Princess

Chapter 4

The Billion Dollar Princess.

Stephanie Marie McMahon was the light of her parents' life. Not only was she beautiful, sweet and smart, but she loved the business that they had built and upon receiving her degree from Boston University, she began working for the company full time.

Stephanie was really part of the business her whole life. Her first on air appearance was as a child. She modeled, she sold, she interned, and took in every experience she could to learn the business. Her parents loved her dedication and realized she was ready to join in the fun.

Her father noticed that the fans seemed to really like her character so he decided, after her kidnapping with the Undertaker, that she was ready to be part of her own story. She started to date Test onscreen and even though the story was kind of boring, the fans loved her. She loved being on camera also. Though she was nervous in the beginning, she started to really enjoy being out in the arena with the crowd.

She also really enjoyed working with her older brother, Shane, and she enjoyed the friendship that she had established with the portrayer of the ring persona Test, Andrew Martin. Another fan of Andrew's was Stephanie's long time boyfriend. Everyone got along great and they were having a great time with the story. Then her father called the meeting. He said that the story was getting boring and that they needed a new direction.

At the meeting, she was surprised by the idea that Joanie came up with. She was even more surprised by her father's enthusiasm for it, but she knew that her father knew what he was doing and if he thought it was a good idea, than it was a great one. She loved the business and would do anything for it to succeed. So now she was becoming the wife of Triple H and she was going to betray her father. She loved that her parents had so much faith in her.

She was also excited to get to work with Paul Levesque. Her father really like Paul and often told his children how he wished the rest of his wrestlers had the dedication that Paul had. What she was not ready for was the onscreen public display of affection with her new onscreen husband and neither was her boyfriend.

He also wasn't excited about her new schedule that had her at every show and now traveling several days out of the week. Her father said the story would last only a few months so it wouldn't always be like this. She hoped their relationship could survive the distance but she was already worried by her behavior mood change whenever she expressed excitement about her upcoming storyline.

Though she loved him, at this point in her life, her career comes first. She hoped he understood that because from now on, she'll be known as Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley.


	5. Hell in a Cell

Chapter 5

Hell in a Cell.

It was now late February 2000 and the WWF had entered the McMahon-Helmsley era, and the more their characters caused trouble, the more fun Stephanie and Paul had fun.

They loved the storyline and really loved being heels. What surprised them the most was how much fun they had working together. They got along great and had really become great friends. Tonight was a big night for the era; Triple H would face Mick Foley in Hell in a Cell match, with stakes being his championship and Mick Foley's retirement. Paul was excited. Stephanie was worried.

So here they were sitting in his dressing room before the show started. They had just finished shooting a promo. After a few moments of silence, Stephanie spoke up.

"So are you excited about your match, Paul?"

"Hell yea!" Paul exclaimed grinning from ear to ear, he was practically glowing from excitement.

"You must either really loved your job or you're crazy!" Steph said smiling at his obvious excitement over such a crazy match.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Well anyone who would agree to doing a Hell in a Cell match is nuts, I already know Mick is crazy, so I'm, trying to figure out your reasoning?" she said.

Before he got a chance to say anything, she spoke up again. "I really admire your dedication to this business; I've never seen anything like it, other than my father of course. It's really inspiring. I hope I didn't offend you or anything, I just don't know why anyone would agree to such a crazy match. I'm worried about you! Promise me you'll be careful."

Paul was touched by her concern. He then went to sit next to her and for the first time he really looked into her beautiful blue-gray eyes, grabbed her hand and squeezed tightly before promising that he'd be careful.

For the next few moments, they looked into each other's eyes. It was like they were in their own zone and the sparks were definitely flying. Something was going on between them but neither of them seemed to be aware of it. They just realized that they liked being around each other. They both thought "hey, when has being friends with a coworker ever been a bad thing?" The mood was broken when one of the assistants came into take of their mics so Paul could finish getting ready for his match.

A few hours later, Paul was being rushed to the back to be looked at by a trainer. When he got back there, he was happy to see his onscreen wife, Stephanie. She looked scared, overwhelmed by the blood coming from his head. To lighten the mood, he asked the question he knew would make her smile.

"So how did I do?" Paul asked, smiling shyly.

"You did awesome, but are you ok? You could barely walk back here even with help?" Stephanie's face lit up with a smile before returning to the worried looked she previously had.

"Yes, I'm fine, great actually since my gorgeous wife liked my match" Paul said winking at her, hoping to relieve the tension and to once again see Stephanie's beautiful face light up. It worked. Stephanie knew what he was doing, and it melted her heart. He was becoming one of her closest friends and she was worried.

"I'm glad you're ok then Paul, I'll leave so you can get out of here and get some rest. Oh and dad wants you to rest and take the night of tomorrow so go home. I'm sure Joanie would love to give you some TLC." Steph smiled.

"Thanks Steph, see you next week!"


	6. Are they or Aren't they?

Chapter 6

"_Are they or aren't they?"_

For the past few months, Triple and Stephanie had taken over the WWF. As their characters were taking over, their real-life counterparts were growing closer. When they were onscreen, everyone could feel the heat. The chemistry was even palpable off screen whenever Paul and Steph were together. They were spending more and more time together, even when they didn't have to. People were starting to take notice, especially the Chairman and the CEO of the WWF.

"So Steph, how have been doing lately? It seems like forever since we had the chance to sit down and talk?" Linda asked her daughter as they sat and waited for the waitress to bring their order. Stephanie and Linda were very close and spent a lot of time together when they weren't busy. They made a practice of going out to dinner monthly, just the two of them and tonight was no different.

"I'm doing great mom, really! I'm really enjoying my work and it is definitely a welcome distraction from my personal life."Steph told her mother, sincerely.

"Sweetie, I am so sorry to hear about you and Chris, I know you really cared for each other."

"Its ok mom, it is. I was sad at first but now I think it's for the best. If he can't handle my job and my schedule, than he is not the right guy for me. He's looking for a stay-at-home housewife kind of girl and I don't think that will ever be me. I'm really fine about it."

"Well I can tell, you don't seem too upset about it, in fact, you have been all smiles lately." Her mother said prying, the way mothers often do.

"Mom, I told you everything is going great. I'm really enjoying my job that's all." Steph said unable to hide the smile as she thought of the fun she had been having with Paul lately.

Linda definitely noticed the smile. She always very knew when it came to her children. She knew that something else was going on and was going to find out what it was.

"So is there any particular reason that you are enjoying your job so much?" Linda asked.

Steph was confused by her mother's question and asked what she meant. Linda, not being shy came right out and asked the question many people were dying to know. "Steph, is there something going with you and Paul? You too have seen awfully close lately."

Stephanie was shocked by that question. Not only was Paul a wrestler, which she had been forbidden from dating, he had a serious girlfriend, there was no way that they would ever get involved. Sure, he was handsome, charming, smart, and funny but they were JUST FRIENDS.

"Mom, of course not, we are just friends. Paul is a really great guy, but he is one of the wrestlers, I would never date a wrestler, besides, could you imagine dad's reaction? He would have heart attack! Besides, Paul has a girlfriend" Steph exclaimed.

"Whatever you say sweetheart" was Linda's response to her daughter.

Linda knew her daughter really well. She knew she was telling the truth but she also saw how he her face lit up when she mentioned how great of a guy he was and they way it dropped when she mentioned his relationship status. Her daughter was definitely developing feelings for the young man she had come to know through her job over the past few years. She also knew he was a great guy because he was one of her husband's favorite employees.

Steph and Linda spent the next couple hours talking and laughing about every other subject in their lives except work. Work was off limits, they were just going to enjoy each other's company.

After dinner, when Steph was finally alone, she couldn't help but think about her mother's question during dinner. To say she was shocked was an understatement. I mean she had never really thought of Paul that way. Up until just recently, she had been in relationship with a guy she had truly cared about. But now she was single and he was hot. They were starting to spend more and more time together, as friends of course.

He was so charming. The more she thought about it, she was starting to wonder if he felt the same way. He was always very flirtatious with Steph. He would often caress her leg when she sat on his lap. But before she got ahead of herself, she remembered one important detail; he had a live in girlfriend who he had been with for years. For some reason, that lost thought saddened her. 'Oh well', she thought as she drifted off to sleep.


	7. Jealousy is a very ugly trait!

Chapter 7

_Jealousy is a very ugly trait_

Joanie was backstage watching the show getting more upset by the second watching her boyfriend make out with his onscreen wife in their locker room. Sure she knew it was for the storyline, and yes, it was her original idea but she was starting to become more and more uncomfortable with their display of affection. What mothered her most was not when they kissed, as most would think, it was the new closeness between Paul and Steph.

They looked good together and their acting was so natural if she didn't know any better she'd think they were really together. They just clicked. When they were off-screen, they were spending more and more time together. Whenever she saw them they were laughing and smiling. It unsettled her. For the first time in their 4 year relationship, Joanie was insecure and it was definitely causing problems and distance between her and Paul.

In fact, at this very moment they aren't speaking, they got in an argument just last night, the same argument they have every week before raw about the same subject, the billion dollar princess. As she watched the McMahon-Helmsleys were making out and groping each other onscreen, Joanie though back to the last argument she had with Paul.

"_Paul, where were you?" Joanie yelled as her boyfriend joined her in their hotel room. She hadn't seen him in hours. _

"_Joanie, I told you I was having dinner with Vince!" Paul answered calmly, hoping to avoid another argument. _

"_Sure you were!" was Joanie's response, as she rolled her eyes. Paul wasn't in the mood for an argument so he chose to ignore the comment. _

"_So how is the princess today?" Joanie asked mentioning Stephanie. She didn't know why she couldn't stand her. Stephanie had been nothing but polite to her, but she just didn't like her. _

"_She's great actually" Paul replied sarcastically. He immediately regretted not talking the high road when his girlfriend blew a gasket. _

"_What the fuck is that supposed to mean Paul? What is going on with you and her? I see the way you look at each other; I know that something is going on with you two!!" Joanie yelled as she rattled out questions. _

_Paul was angry now. He didn't understand why she didn't trust him or why she ever though he would get involved with the boss' daughter, it would be career suicide. He was so tired of having this argument with her. _

"_Damn it Joan, do you trust me or not?" Paul yelled back, the tone and volume of his voice surprised her because he was usually so calm and non-confrontational. _

"_Of course I trust you Paul; it's that slut I don't trust. I see how she looks at you Paul, she wants you. I can see it. She's trying to steal you from me" Joanie said, almost in tears. _

"_First of all, Stephanie is not slut and she hasn't done anything to you to deserve the rude treatment you give her…" before he could finish what he was going to say, he was interrupted. _

"_I can't believe you have the gall to defend her to me. I'm your girlfriend. You should be on my side. I support you. You are always too busy with the princess to support me." She said now angry yet again. She wasn't about to let him see her cry, not this time. _

"_Can I finish now or are you going to continue to interrupt me?" Paul asked. When she rolled her eyes he decided to continue._

"_As I was saying, Stephanie has done nothing to you so I would appreciate it if you treated her with respect, I mean, I don't go around disrespecting your friends. Do I? Second, and more importantly, I love you and I want to be with you but you are going to have to trust me? If you can't do that than maybe we shouldn't be together" Paul finished. He wasn't angry anymore just tired. Those words definitely hit a nerve with Joanie. She instantly backpedaled and apologized to Paul. _

"_I'm sorry. I just get jealous sometimes. I'm afraid of losing you." Joanie said moving a step closer. _

"_You're not going to lose me Joan but I refuse to keep having the same argument with you. You need to trust me!" Before she could say anything else, Paul grabbed his bag and went into the bathroom to take a shower. When he came out of the bathroom, she was already in bed. When he went to lie next to her, she waited for him to pull her close like he normally did but he didn't. After a few moments, she turned to look at him and found him asleep with his back facing her. She turned back to stare at the wall. There was not only distance in their relationship, but now it was following them to the bedroom. That hurt her. _

Back to the present, the show was finally over and she was waiting for Paul by their rental car. He was taking forever and she knew exactly where he was. When everyone had left, he finally came out with none other than the chairman and his daughter. She instantly rolled her eye.

When they finally made their way to her, she put on her best effort not to be rude. "Hey Joanie, great show tonight!" Stephanie said smiling sincerely. She hated when that woman was nice to her. She'd rather the woman her boyfriend made out with on a weekly basis not speak to her.

She smiled tightly and replied, "Thank you Steph, you and Paul did great as usual." Paul definitely saw Joan's attitude and decided that now would be a good time to leave and said his goodbyes.

Paul then shook Vince's hand and gave Steph a quick hug before saying, "See you guys tomorrow for the Smackdown taping." Joan rolled her eyes when he hugged Steph and luckily he was the only who noticed. He continued to wave as they walked to their limo.

Joanie was officially pissed now and he was too tired after his match tonight to deal with it. He proceeded to unlock the doors, grab his and Joanie's bags and put them in the trunk and then got into the drivers' seat without saying a word. Joan finally got the hint and got in the car as they drove to their hotel in silence.

That night, for the first night in years, they paid for and slept in separate rooms.


	8. Clearing the Roadblock

Chapter 8

_Clearing the roadblock _

Anyone who wasn't blind could see that Stephanie McMahon was drop-dead gorgeous. And a certain newly single Paul Levesque was definitely starting to take notice. He always thought she was beautiful but now she was all he could think of. He noticed every little thing about her. His new favorite activity was looking into those amazing blue-grey sparkling eyes. He loved hearing her voice and her laugh. He loved how her eyes sparkled when she smiled. He loved how she would smile whenever she saw him; her smile was so big that is lit up her whole face, which made him feel special.

He loved her passion for the business and how hard she worked because he had just as much passion for it. He loved that even though she was incredibly rich and could have anything she wanted, that she was still one of the most down-to-earth people he had ever met. She was also very funny, whenever they were together all they did was laugh and crack jokes. He loved how she was willing to make fun of herself and didn't take life so seriously.

What he admired most about her, though, was her heart. She was the sweetest, most caring person he had ever met. She was always so considerate and empathetic of others. She was so nice and polite, even when people were rude to her; he had firsthand experience with that when everyone saw the dirty looks that Joanie would give her and Stephanie would just kill Joan with kindness. She would always take the high road and was a huge peacemaker backstage, which he loved because he was a chill, laid-back kind of guy who hated drama. She was just great and he loved being around her.

Every since his break up with Joanie, he had been spending more and more time with Stephanie outside of work. She was now his best friend in the whole world, his confidant and one of his biggest fans. Thinking of her made him smile. His smile faded when his thoughts were brought to his ex. He was actually on his way to see her now when he ran into Dwayne Johnson aka the Rock on his way out of the arena. They talked a little about the match they had earlier in the night. As the conversation was coming to an end, Johnson asked Paul to say hello to Joan for him. That was when Paul's mood went flat. He quickly recovered and smiled and waved good-bye.

As he drove to the hotel the WWF superstars were staying in tonight his thoughts drifted to the night he Joanie broke up a couple weeks ago.

_Paul had had a late dinner meeting with the McMahons and a few members of the Creative team after their show. Joanie was back in their hotel room waiting and was angry like usual that he was going to be in the same room as Stephanie and she wasn't invited. At the meeting they explained to him and Stephanie that the fan response for them was still so great that they had decided to extent the story into at least late summer/early fall 200 instead of ending it early summer like originally planned. Both Paul and Stephanie were excited that their characters were getting such a good fan response and that they would continue being front and center because those in charge felt that they were good for business. _

_The dinner was great and everyone enjoyed themselves. He was actually surprised how laid back Vince was, even though it was a business meeting, it was suddenly a personal setting and Vince didn't have to be big bad Vinnie Mac, who was all business and no pleasure. Vince was cracking jokes and Paul felt so included like he was moving up in his career and developing a good, more personal relationship with his boss. He loved that because he already had learned and admired so much about Vince, now Vince like him enough to invite him to important, even though non-formal meetings such as these. Everyone sat there and talked and laughed for hours and Paul really enjoyed himself. _

_He was flying on a high as he made it up to his room. He crash landed when he saw the scowl on his girlfriend's face as she glared at him from as she sat up in bed. Even though he should've expected this because it was her usual behavior he didn't understand how she couldn't be happy and supportive of him. He decided that he wasn't going to argue with her, he was just going to get ready for bed and sleep. When Paul didn't acknowledge her presence the way she wanted, started in on him for the ten thousandth time about Steph. _

_Tonight, though, after his high, he wasn't going to take the bait. He already knew that she would be pissed when she found out that they were extending the storyline for the third time. Joanie was about to go off when she realized that his meeting could've been about discussing how they were going to end the upcoming storyline. So she decided to take a few breaths and not bait him into an argument tonight like she had been doing for months. _

"_So how was the meeting?"Joanie asked prying. _

"_It was really good actually, I really enjoyed myself!" Paul said beaming, leaving it at that as he went into the bathroom to wash his face before getting in bed. When she saw the look on his face, she assumed that he had news and the new direction of his storyline, which probably included his and Stephanie's break up._

"_Really, so what does the great Vince McMahon and the Creative team have coming up for the Game? How is he going to dump the princess?" Joanie asked smiling, excited at the thought that she would no longer have to watch her boyfriend making out with Stephanie. _

"_Actually, Joan, the creative team has decided that since Steph and I are still getting such a great fan reactions that they and Vince want to extend the storyline into at least early fall. Joan's face dropped and all signs of happiness seemed to fade. Joan then angrily turned over in the bed trying to mask her fury. It didn't work though Paul instantly took notice. _

"_What wrong Joan?" Paul asked, he already knew but asked anyway. _

"_You want to know what's wrong, huh, Paul? What's wrong is I'm tired of watching my boyfriend making out with the Boss' brat. That's what's wrong. And just when I thought it was ending, I find out that you are going to be doing it for months longer." Joan said, with her voice rising with each word and her anger growing. _

"_I don't understand why you can't be supportive of me right now and supportive of my storyline which I happen to be enjoying." _

"_I am supportive of your career and anything that helps it but I refuse to be happy about watching you making out with that spoiled selfish little…" _

_Before she could finish Paul yelled, "SHUT UP JOANIE". He was now glaring at her and she could feel the anger emanating from his tense body._

_"I am really getting tired of this Joan, really I'm serious."_

"_You're getting tired of what, Paul?" Joanie yelled back. _

"_I'm getting tired of you!" Joan was shocked. She never knew he was tired of arguing but she thought their love could survive anything. Before she could say anything else, he continued._

"_I'm tired of arguing with you. I'm tired of your jealousy. I'm tired of how you talk about Stephanie, who is a good friend of mine. I'm tired of worrying if your volatile behavior is going to end up costing me my job. I'm just tired of all of it!"_

"_If you are so tired of me then, why are we even together" Joan yelled. "Maybe we should just take a break from each other, since you are oh so tired of me."_

"_I think we should!" was Paul's response. He then grabbed his luggage and left her standing there in the room. _

Paul was brought back to reality as he stopped at a local video store and picked up a couple movies for him and Steph to watch when they hung out once he got to the hotel. Thinking back to his breakup, Paul realized that he wasn't really all that hurt that his relationship with Joan was over. He was glad that his life was suddenly drama free. He certainly wasn't missing their constant arguing and fighting.

When it was finally over he actually felt like a wait had been lifted off of his shoulders and he could breathe easy.

He also had a great friend to lift his spirits when he was feeling down; she was truly a life saver, especially the night of the break up.

_As if his night couldn't have gotten any worse, when he got to the front desk, the clerk informed him that the hotel was all booked and unfortunately there were no vacant rooms. He sat there as he contemplated between sleeping in his rental car and going back up to his room with Joanie. That rental car was sounding great compared to the latter choice. _

_Upon heading out the door to his rental car, he heard his name called. He turned to see his onscreen wife standing there with a confused look on her face. He and Steph had gotten so close over the past few months that they knew each other really well and he knew that he would have to explain to her why he was standing in the hotel lobby and almost 1 in the morning. _

_She herself was heading up to her room after spending some time with her older brother in the bar. As she headed to the elevator she caught a glimpse of her onscreen love in the corner of her eye. She wondered what he was doing in the lobby with his luggage at this hour. _

"_Going somewhere?" She asked once he turned to face her. _

"_Decided to get an early move on the next town" Paul Lied. _

"_Really?" Steph asked raising one eyebrow at him. This caused him to cave and tell the truth, well at least as much of it as he was comfortable with telling. _

"_I was trying to get a room and unfortunately this place is all booked" he said shyly. They both noticed the omission of his girlfriend's name and the fact that they usually shared a room. And the ever tactful Steph decided it would be best not to pry. _

"_So you were planning on sleeping in the car?" Steph asked, sounding genuinely concerned at the though. She got her answer when Paul just nodded. _

"_Well you can nix that idea; you are just going to stay with me. Daddy got me a suit. The couch also has a pullout bed so you can sleep there." _

_Before he could object, she gave them this look that basically said that arguing with her was going to get him nowhere so he dropped the subject, grabbed his back and headed with Stephanie towards the elevator. They made their way up to Steph's huge suite. She could tell that he really didn't feel like talking so she pointed him in the direction of the shower and got herself ready for bed also. _

_The next morning they talked for hours about everything, it was so refreshing for both of them to have some they really cared about and could talk to. He told her about his break up and she understood because she had gone through the same jealousy and drama from her ex. They rode together to the next city and talked and laughed most of the way. He was really thankful for her._

He smiled to himself as he thought back to how much time he spent with her and how much he depended on Steph these past couple weeks. He kept on smiling as he walked through the hallway towards Steph room in the hotel they were staying at. His smile got bigger when he found the door.

When he knocked, he got butterflies in his stomach and his palms got sweaty. He had hung out with her hundreds of times before but never had this reaction before, not really with anyone.

His heart stopped when the door opened. Paul had never seen anyone so beautiful. She had on sweats, a ponytail and no make-up but she was absolutely breathtaking. When she told him to come in, he thought he had died and gone to heaven.

He suddenly saw his personal life going into a new direction and he liked it.


	9. Attraction and Flirtation

Chapter 9

Attraction and Flirtation

Stephanie had just finished popping some popcorn when she heard the knock on the door of her hotel room. Just as she was expecting, it was Paul. When she opened the door and saw the man who seemed to capture his thoughts these days. Just the very mention of his name caused Stephanie to lose the ability to stop smiling.

She was really starting to develop feelings for him. She had always been attracted to him but that was innocent because he was taken and nothing would come of it. But now he was single and she couldn't help but wonder what if? But whenever she would start to think that they could be good together, she remembered that her father absolutely forbid her from dating any of the wrestlers.

She often wondered what her father would think of her dating Paul, yes he was a wrestler, but Paul was different from the rest of the wrestlers, he was very close to Vince. Vince often told her how great he was and how smart, responsible and hard-working he was. He even once suggested that she date him, but quickly clarified and said that she should date someone like him. Not him specifically though, because of course he was a wrestler and that was absolutely forbidden.

Stephanie was drawn from her thoughts when she realized that she was staring at the beautiful man standing before her and that they were still standing in the doorway.

From the smirk on Paul's face, he obviously noticed Stephanie was staring too. He definitely didn't mind, in fact, he loved that she was obviously just as attracted to him as he was to her.

"I'm sorry Paul, come in" Stephanie said in embarrassed. Her heart starting beating a little faster when he walked past her and she got a whiff of his cologne. _God he's so sexy. _

She was obviously attracted to him but tonight she wasn't doing a very good job of hiding it like she had done in the past.

"Like what you see McMahon?" Paul asked, unable to hide his signature arrogant smirk. He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Stephanie's cheeks turn bright red.

"I have no clue what you're talking about Paul" Stephanie lied, trying hard not to blush.

"If you don't know what I'm talking about then why are you blushing?" Paul said with a huge grin on his face. He went on to say, "It's ok to check me out, you know, it happens all the time."

When Paul said, Stephanie burst out laughing. She laughed for several moments before asking him how he got through doors with such a big head. That caused him to join her in laughter.

"No really, it's great that you have such a high self esteem, Paul!" Stephanie said rolling her eyes.

"Whatever Stephanie" Paul said fake pouting, hoping to get a rise out of her. The way he pouted was so sexy that all she could do was roll her eyes again and say, "I thought you were here to watch a movie, not flirt with me".

Paul just smiled at her and went to sit on the couch in front of the television. Stephanie grabbed the bowl of popcorn, turned off the lights and sat down next to Paul.

They had decided earlier in the night that they wanted to watch scary a movie and couldn't agree on one. They couldn't agree on which movie was the scariest so they picked three: _Halloween, The Blair Witch Project and Scream_.

As Halloween started, they were on opposite ends of the couch with bowl of popcorn between them. As the movie progressed, the moved closer to each other. Half way through the second movie, they were cuddled up on the couch with Paul's arms around Stephanie and her head buried in his chest.

Paul was enjoying the movie but he was enjoying being that close to Stephanie even more. Whenever she would jump or scream, he would just hold her closer. He wasn't the only one enjoying the intimacy of being that close, Stephanie was reveling in being in Paul's big strong arms.

She loved how safe and secure she felt. She loved that there weren't cameras rolling and that it was really just the two of them. They stayed like that until the movie ended and it was time to put the next one in.

When they sat down for the third and final movie they were back in the position that they were with Stephanie in Paul's arms with her head on his chest. Both seemed hold each other a little closer and tighter.

After a crude comment from Scream got a laugh out of Paul, Stephanie looked up at Paul and rolled her eyes. But instead laying her head back down, she just stared into his beautiful hazel eyes for a few moments; she was overcome with urge to kiss him but resisted with fear of ruining their friendship with changes or just receiving rejection.

She wasn't the only one who felt the heat of their gaze. As she went to lay her head back on his chest, she felt Paul's hand graze her chin, urging her to look up. When she did, both moved their face closer until their lips met in a sweet lingering kiss. The moment was perfect for both of them and neither wanted to end so they deepened the kiss. She felt his tongue graze her lips and granted him the entrance he wanted. The kiss was no longer a sweet gentle kiss but now a forceful passion filled kiss that neither wanted to end.

They finally parted only to catch their breath. They gazed deeply into each other's eyes as if they were searching for the other's soul. That's when they saw it. They saw what everyone else saw. That what was between wasn't some attraction or flirtation that would end with a fling, but that there was something real between them. They had this undeniable chemistry, they had heat, and for the first time they felt what everyone else around them had been seeing for months.

They finally broke their gaze only to continue kissing. They stayed close like that for the next hour and a half when Paul noticed that the movie had ended and Stephanie noticed the late hour and that is was almost 3 am.

Paul got up and grabbed Stephanie's hand pulling her up with him. He pulled her into his arms into a tight hug. She walked him to the door of her room. Before he opened the door, she grabbed his face and gave him a long, heart stopping, passionate kiss and when they broke for air, the smirk on her face made his heart melt.

"Goodnight Paul" Stephanie said smiling.

"See you tomorrow beautiful" was the response Paul gave her before winking and leaving her room.

She closed the door and turned to put her back against it. She felt giddy inside and couldn't stop smiling. She couldn't believe what had happened with Paul tonight.

Paul was still standing in the hall way with a silly grin on his face. He had never really felt this way before. He was so surprised when he looked into Stephanie's eyes and saw that she was feeling the same way.

They both jumped into their beds and couldn't stop thinking of each other. They were both happy until they realized what something between them would mean. They were definitely developing feelings for each other but there was the issue of Stephanie's father who had forbidden her from dating a wrestler and the fact that that same man was also their boss.

Suddenly the happiness they felt was threatened and they both realized that they needed to talk to other, to see where they stood and to find out how the other really felt.

_Tomorrow _they both thought as they drifted off to sleep happily thinking of what had transpired between them.


	10. Let’s give us a shot

Chapter 10

Let's give _us_ a shot

Stephanie sighed happily as she felt the morning sun beating down on her face as she lay in her hotel bed. She couldn't help but smile as she remembered what had happened between her and Paul the previous evening.

She had always thought that Paul would be a good kisser, but she never imagined that his kisses were that good. When he kissed her, she felt like her heart was going to explode in her chest, it was beating that fast. She had never felt that before and that excited her. The fact that she loved kissing him that much, added to the fact that they had undeniable chemistry and got along great had Stephanie starting wonder. She started to wonder what if they could really have something.

She had already developed too many feelings for Paul to ever consider anything they had as just a fling. She wanted more with him. He was already her best friend. He could make her laugh so hard that she would cry. She could talk to him about pretty much anything. She felt safe and protected when she was in his arms. She wondered if Paul could feel the same things for her. She hoped he did but at the same time was afraid that he didn't.

Before her thoughts overwhelmed us too much, she remembered what her father had said to her about relations with the wrestlers. Her heart sank when she realized that she and Paul could never be. She realized then that she had to put a stop to whatever was happening between them before someone got hurt. She sighed deeply before getting out of bed, taking a shower and getting dressed.

Upon finishing the final touches of her makeup, she picked up the phone and called Paul. Her heart started racing once she heard the first ring. She was going to dread this but she also knew it had to be done.

"Hello Beautiful" was the first thing she heard once Paul answered his phone. _God his voice is sexy._

"Hey, what are you doing?" she said trying to sound casual and working up the nerve to tell him what she had been thinking.

"Just thinking about how beautiful you are". To say she wasn't expecting that was a huge understatement. _This is going to be harder than I thought. _

"Steph, are you still there?" Paul questioned when he didn't get a response.

"Yes, I'm still here. So are you busy?" She asked nervously.

"No, why?" Paul answered with a huge smile on his face.

"I was thinking that we should probably talk about what happened last night…"

"I was actually thinking the same thing. Are you in your room? Is it ok if I come up and we have this talk in person?"

"Yeah sure, you can come right up!"

"Ok, see you in a few" Paul said before hanging up his phone.

He was so excited about seeing Stephanie after last night. He was crazy about her and wanted to be around her as much as possible. When he saw her name on the caller id he couldn't contain his huge smile. He was really falling for her. That thought scared him though because they hadn't even go on a date, she was the boss' daughter and he was just unsure of Stephanie's feelings for him though, especially since she had been forbidden from dating wrestlers. He headed nervously towards the elevator.

A few floors above him, Stephanie was pacing the floor of her room anxiously. She was trying to figure out what she was going to say to him. When she finally started coming up with something to say to him, her thoughts came to a screeching halt upon hearing a knock on the door. "Coming" On the way to the door she made a quick stop at the mirror by the door to check her hair and makeup and to take a few deep breaths.

As soon as she opened the door and saw the gorgeous man standing in front of her, she lost all the nerve she had built up since getting out of bed. She moved to the side to let him in. When he brushed past her and felt the warmth from his body and smelled that oh so familiar scent of his, she completely forgot all of the things she was going to say. She looked him and up and down and was overcome with them memories of the night before…and his lips.

"So?" Paul said with a huge smile trying to ease the tension. For some reason, for the first time since they met, it was awkward between them. After a few moments and no response he decided to try again.

"So…you said you wanted to talk". Paul said, finally seeing how nervous Steph was. He found it incredibly cute and just hope that it meant that she felt the feelings that he had been.

"Yeah, about last night…." Steph said anxiously, pausing only to take a deep breath before continuing. "I'm so sorry I kissed you, I shouldn't have done that."

When Steph said that, Paul felt his heart lodge in his throat. It scared him. He had real feelings for her but obviously she didn't feel the same. That hurt him. He had to get out of there. Or did he?

They stood there in silence for what felt like forever, when actually it was only a few moments. During that time he decided to put his heart in the line and put himself out there. He had never been a quitter and always went after what he wanted. And at this moment, he realized that he wanted her more than anything else in the world.

"Hold on, Steph. First of all, I kissed you." He said before taking a few steps to stand right in front of her. "I kissed you because I have wanted to since the first time I saw you."

When he said that Stephanie had actually thought she felt her heart stop. Before she could even think of something to say, Paul started up again.

"I'm crazy about you. You're amazing. You make me laugh. You're my best friend. I just love being around you. You're the most beautiful person I have never seen or met, both inside and out".

Stephanie was speechless. It was everything she had hoped but at the same time it scared her. When he saw the shocked look on her face, it confirmed his suspicion that she didn't feel the same way about him. He thought he had made a huge mistake.

He didn't know what he was expecting, but he wasn't expecting such a completely stunned look on her face. Since she hadn't said anything, he could only assume that she didn't feel the same. They stood there in silence for a few more minutes before Paul spoke up again fully intending on leaving the room before he embarrassed himself any more.

"Look, I'm sorry that I put that all on you like that. I'm also sorry about the kiss; I promise it won't happen again. I'm just going to let myself out." Paul said dejectedly before turning around and walking towards the door.

He stopped when he felt her grab his arm. He slowly turned to look at her and the look in her eyes gave him butterflies and heart started beating a little bit faster. She moved a little closer before grabbing his hand so he was completely facing her.

"Paul, um…look, I'm crazy about you too, but we just can't do this". She said letting go of his hand.

"We can't do what, Steph?"

"This. Us. We can't."

"Why?"

"Why? Well because you work for my father, the same man that has absolutely forbidden me from dating wrestlers. Also, I doubt dating the boss' daughter is going to do anything good for your career!" Stephanie said calmly before staring at the floor.

Paul had never really thought of all that before, well at least not like she had. But now that he had, it didn't change anything, if anything it only strengthened what he was already feeling. She was worth the risk and he was going to get her so see that.

"Steph, I don't care what anyone else thinks. I want you. You're worth the risk. " Stephanie was again speechless. She felt the same way.

"Come on, Steph. What'd you say, let's give _us_ a shot?" Paul said smiling pointing between the two of them. Stephanie didn't say anything. She took a few steps closer to him before grabbing his face and kissing him passionately.

"Is it safe to take that as a yes?" Smiled brightly. The way his whole face lit up melted her heart.

She nodded enthusiastically before smiling and whispering _definitely_ against his lips.


	11. Caught

Chapter 11

_Caught._

The crowd roared as Triple H pinned the Rock and won the match. After the ref raised his arm in victory, Stephanie got into the ring and ran into his arms. They hugged and he swung her around a little bit before they exited the ring. When they got to the top of the ramp, they shared an unscripted kiss. Paul and Steph just couldn't keep their hands off each other and people were definitely starting to notice. Once they got back to the gorilla position, they were still hand in hand.

Once the realized what they were doing, they slowly drifted apart, letting their fingers linger as they stared deeply into each other's eyes. They often got lost in each other's eyes. They would get caught in the moment and it was just the two of them. Everything and everyone around them would just seem to disappear. They were just drawn to each other. They quickly shook it off and Steph gave Paul a knowing smile that meant she would see him later.

Their relationship was supposed to be a secret. Though the two of them thought they were doing a good job of being discreet, more and more people were starting to notice their new closeness. Unbeknownst to either of them, someone saw that very close encounter between them and that person was none other than the Chairman of the Board and Stephanie's father, Vince McMahon. He was definitely suspicious now. He didn't want to outright accuse them of being together because the thought in itself was crazy to him. He had forbidden his daughter from dating wrestlers and he had thought Paul was in a serious relationship. Before he would get too caught up in that idea, he would remember that they were both very committed to the business and they were probably just making it believable. Either way, he was determined to figure out if something more was going on between them.

Later that evening Vince met his wife and son and daughter in law for a late night dinner. Stephanie was supposed to be there also but informed her mother that she was tired and was just going to go straight to bed. Vince was definitely suspicious. As the family enjoyed casual conversation, the subject turned to how well Stephanie's storyline was going. When Marissa mentioned how great Paul and Steph looked together and how convincing the duo seemed as a happy couple, Vince spoke up.

"They are convincing aren't they?" Vince paused before continuing and saying, "almost too convincing if you ask me. "

"Now dad, I know you get a little protective of Stephanie, but I'm sure that nothing it going on between them." Shane said, defending his sister. He went on to say, "Besides Steph and I are really close, I'm sure she would have said something to either me or Marissa if something more was going on between them."

Marissa then spoke up and said, "Yeah, Steph and I are like sisters, she would've said something. We always talk to each other about our relationships. I tell her when Shane is getting on my nerves and she tells me what's going on with her. Remember I was the first person she told when she and Chris broke up". They all sat that there in silence and agreed with what Marissa had said until Linda decided to give her opinion.

"Actually Vince, I think you may be on to something. A few months ago, right after Chris and Steph broke up we had dinner and I asked her about Paul. I could tell they were definitely getting closer. She, of course firmly denied it, but I know my daughter, there was something more going on. "

"What do you mean, Linda?"

"Well she said that that she would never get involved with one of the wrestlers but at the same time she told me how great of a guy she thought Paul was. You guys should've seen how her face lit up. I think she definitely likes him. "

That's when Shane piped in, "Well maybe she just has a little harmless crush, beside Paul and Joanie have been together for years."

"Yea, but if it was just a harmless crush, Steph would've told me." Marissa said with conviction.

"Also when was the last time you guys saw Paul and Joanie together. I used to see them together all the time, now whenever I see him, he's by himself…." "Or with Stephanie" they all said finishing Vince's statement.

"So why wouldn't Stephanie tell us" Vince asked, shocked at the notion that his daughter might be keeping something that big from her family.

"Because you forbid her from dating wrestlers." Shane said with a smile.

"Ok I get why she wouldn't tell her you" Marissa said, looking at her father-in-law. "Sorry Dad. But what I don't get is why she wouldn't tell me."

"Well dear, you do tell Shane everything, and Shane is rather protective, maybe she was afraid that her secret would get out. Maybe she was afraid that her father wouldn't approve either. Vince, you know how much she loves you and is afraid of disappointing you. " Linda said trying to reassure her daughter-in-law and husband.

"Hold on guys, we don't even know for sure that something is going on between them. Maybe they are just really good friends". Shane said once again defending his sister.

"Yeah maybe, but I tell you all one thing. I'm going to get to the bottom of this." Vince said as his food arrived. They all changed the subject but it was still in the back of his mind. He was determined to find out and tonight was going to be the night. As the finished dinner and headed upstairs to their rooms. Vince decided to check on his _sick_ daughter. When Linda figured out what he was doing, Linda was not happy.

"Vince, don't!"

"What? I can't check on my daughter and see how she is. I mean I haven't seen her since the show. You said she was really tired, I just want to make sure that she is not working too hard and that she's ok".

"Well I don't believe you, so I'm going to go with you to check on her. Have to make sure that you are on your best behavior".

Before he could argue, she gave him a look and he just kept walking. Once they got to Stephanie's room, they heard laughing through the door. They gave each other a knowing look. When they knocked, the laughing seemed to completely stop. Linda found it funny, Vince just rolled his eyes. After a few moments, they heard Steph say "coming" before she opened the door. Vince made an effort to check over his daughter's appearance. He was actually surprised that she was wearing silk long-sleeved pajamas. She looked like she was ready for bed. Once he got in her room, he notice that the television was on. He figured she was probably tired and in bed watching some TV before falling asleep. Stephanie's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Mom, Dad what brings you here this late?"

"Oh sweetie we just came to check on you, making sure you were feeling ok?" Vince said eyeing his only daughter.

"Oh, yeah daddy, I'm fine just really tired probably going to sleep soon" Steph said, faking a yawn and an exaggerated stretch. Both her parent's could tell that she was trying to get rid of them. Since their daughter seemed fine and alone, Linda decided it was time to make an exit.

"Ok dear, well you get some rest. Since you are obviously tired, we'll just see you in the morning for breakfast. There are some things we need to discuss." Linda said, giving her daughter a hug. When Vince went to hug his daughter, that's when he saw it. The clue. The evidence.

Draped over the couch in Stephanie's large suite, was Paul Levesque's, or rather Triple H's, famous black leather coat. He really couldn't help but laugh. When he his wife eyed him, he directed her attention to the living room area of the suite. She couldn't help but smile either. "Well sweetheart, I'll see you in the morning" Vince said giving his daughter a warm. "Ok see you at breakfast", Stephanie said.

Once they had left the room, Steph was surprised when she felt two strong arms around her and the very sexy voice of her boyfriend saying "That was close." "Yea I know" was the response she gave him she put her hands on his bare chest and directed him back to the bed, attacking his lips.

As Vince and Linda made their way to their own suite, Linda defiantly took notice to the smile on her husband's face.

"What are you so happy about?" was the question she ask asked him.

"I just find all of this funny."

Linda raised her eyebrow at him and questioned "Funny?"

"Yea"

"You find your daughter defying you and having a secret relationship funny?".

"Well no, Linda. I was just thinking about how happy she has seemed lately. She always smiling and in a good mood. What if Paul is the reason? If this relationship is the reason she is so happy then how can I object?"

"Okaaay", was the response she gave him, shaking her head, as they walked in to their suite.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I am going to confront them both tomorrow, separately and figure out what is going on….and then we'll go from there."


	12. Blessing

Chapter 12

_Blessing_

Stephanie woke up to the sound of her alarm and in the arms of the man she was falling for a little more each day. When looked up into his handsome face she saw he was still asleep. She could look at him all day long. To her, he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen and she loved being with him. To think, he could have absolutely any girl in the world, and he chose her. She felt so special. Realizing that pretty soon she would be meeting her parents for breakfast, so she needed to get up and dressed. She smiled when she felt the arms around her pulling her closer as she went to get up.

"Good morning!" She said as leaned in for a sweet morning kiss.

"Good morning to you too" Paul said pulling her close again for another kiss. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I have to meet my parents for breakfast in like 30 min, so I need to get dressed."

"Do you really have to go now?"

"Yes, sweetie, I do. And then I have to get ready for the Smackdown taping tonight. "

"Ok, I just wish you didn't have to go and we could spend the whole day together." Paul said, fake pouting hoping to get a reaction out of Steph. It worked and Steph came around to where he was sitting, stepping between his legs, gently cupping his face in her hands before pulling him into a deep, passionate kiss.

"I know you do, Paul, I do too. Maybe on one of our days off this week, we can. Either you can come to Greenwich or I can come to Nassau."

"Really, Steph?"

"Yea, I really want to. I love being with you. When we aren't together, all I do is think about you." Those words really affected Paul, for he felt the same way. He was really falling for her. The past couple weeks, they had spent almost every free minute they had together. He pulled her to him and kissed her again.

"Ok, you can go." Paul said as he let her go. "I'll just go to the gym and I'll meet you at the arena for the show."

After a few more lingering kisses, Stephanie jumped in the shower and hurried to get dressed so she could meet her parents. Ten minutes later, Stephanie was in the lobby of the hotel headed to the restaurant. Once she entered the restaurant, she looked around searching for her family. After a few moments she spotted her father sitting alone by the window. As if he could sense her watching him, Vince looked up and saw his daughter walking towards the table. He smiled before getting up and pulling her in a hug.

"Hi sweetheart! How are you this morning?"

"I'm great dad, but where are mom and Shane?"

"Oh there was some kind of crisis at the corporate office, so your mother and brother are handling it."

"Oh ok".

"So how are you feeling today?"

"I'm fine daddy."

"Ok I was just checking. You seemed really tired last night and I was making sure that you are feeling ok and that I'm not working you too hard."

"I'm really fine daddy. I just needed a good night sleep".

_Sure you did_ was the only thought that was going through his mind as he eyed his daughter suspiciously. As they sat in silence looking over the menus, Vince took that time to give his daughter a good look over. What he noticed was how happy she had seemed. Now Steph was always carefree and never moody, but now she was genuinely happy. She was cracking jokes. Whenever she smiled, she her whole face would light up. He was definitely curious if one of his favorite employees was the cause of the sudden change in demeanor of his daughter. Vince McMahon was never a subtle or a shy man so he decided he was just going to be blunt and come out and ask his daughter what he wanted to know!

"_So, _how long have you and Paul been _talking_?"

When Stephanie's facial expression went from happy to completely shocked, Vince had to suppress a chuckle. Stephanie was speechless. She had thought that she and Paul were doing a good job of hiding their relationship. She thought of lying, but then decided against it because she was tired of hiding her relationship. She wanted to be able to go out with Paul and be able to let the whole world know that she was crazy about the most amazing guy in the world.

"Umm, I don't know what to say dad. How did you find out?" Steph asked nervously, afraid that her father would be angry or disappointed in her not being truthful.

"Well sweetheart, I noticed that there was something going on with you but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I also notice that lately you and Paul have seemed a lot closer than normal so I started to suspect something going on." Vince said, looking directly into his daughter's eyes.

"Oh!" was the only response that his daughter could muster. Vince tried his hardest to keep a stern expression but could not help but be amused at the mortified expression on his daughter's face. They sat in silence for a few minutes until her father spoke up again. "Oh and my suspicions were confirmed when I saw his jacket on the couch in your suite last night."

That was when Stephanie put her head down in embarrassment. She held it down for a few moments before she heard some quiet chuckling and looked up and saw a huge smile on her father's face.

"What's so funny?"

"You, sweetheart. Your face. Are you ok?" Stephanie was surprised her father wasn't angry. She was expecting him to blow a gasket and demand that they break up. When she was younger, he was always very overprotective. She realized that this was her chance to make her dad see how great Paul and her were together. After a few moments, she found the courage to speak up and tell her dad how she felt.

"Yeah, daddy, I'm fine. Look, I'm really sorry for not being honest with you. Me and Paul just sort of happened. I really wanted to tell you but I know how you feel about me dating the wrestlers."

Vince watched his daughter intently as she spoke about the new man in her life. She seemed genuinely happy but at the same time worried about his reaction. He was touched that his daughter cared that much about what he thought. He was always dead set against her dating wrestlers, he knew the lives they led on the road and also making business personal could become a tricky situation. What was most important to him was that his daughter was happy and if Paul Levesque made her happy than he would just have to find a way to accept it.

"So are you happy with him?" Vince couldn't help but smile when he saw his daughter's face light up at the thought of her beau.

"Dad, I am happier than I have ever been in my life. Paul and I have so much fun together. He's become so important to me. He makes me laugh. I just really care about him and he feels the same."

Stephanie sat there waiting for her father to respond. She was hoping to get her father's blessing because just like her character, was a daddy's girl who was just seeking her father's approval.

"Well, if he really makes you happy than I cannot object." Stephanie was instantly shocked. For a few moments she actually questioned whether her father had truly said that or if she was imagining it. Once she realized that her dreams were really coming true, she jumped up hugged her father. She couldn't believe that he was actually ok with and even seemed to support her relationship. Her life really couldn't seem to get any better.

"Well now that we got that out of the way, let's talk business."

Vince was elated at seeing how happy his daughter was. He'd give anything in the world for her to be happy. And of all the wrestlers she could be dating, he was so glad that she chose Paul Levesque. Yes, he definitely had a not so pretty past, but he had definitely cleaned up that behavior. He was determined, responsible, honest and hardworking. He was by far one of his favorite employees. And as long as he was good to his daughter, he had no problem with their relationship. He did, however, worry about his daughter getting her heartbroken, so he made a mental note that he was going to talk to Paul today.

A couple hours later, when he got to the arena, he had one of his secretaries page Paul into his office. He had asked Stephanie not to say anything to Paul because he wanted to talk to him himself. When he heard a knock on the door he locked up and saw Paul enter the room. He smiled. From the first time he saw Paul and Steph together, he knew the duo were something special. In the beginning, he only saw it professionally. After a while, he started to wonder but now it was actually happening. Though he was happy his daughter was so content, he was still worried and hopefully this talk with Paul would ease that.

"Hey Vince, what's up?" Paul said with a warm smile. He and Vince got along great, they didn't always see eye-to-eye but over the years they had gotten really close.

"Paul, take a seat." Vince said with a serious face. He wasn't trying to intimidate him; however, this situation was not something he was going to take lightly. Paul smile quickly faded as he was wondering if something was going on. He was rarely called in to Vince's office and those who were were usually in some kind of trouble.

"Vince is there something wrong". Paul asked warily.

"No Paul, there is nothing wrong. I was just wondering when you were going to tell me about your relationship with Stephanie." Vince said flatly.

Paul was shocked and actually had a similar expression that Stephanie had had a few hours earlier at breakfast. Vince found that amusing but managed not to change the stern expression on his face. Paul realized that he had been silent for several moments now and he needed to say something. He truly respected Vince and hated going behind his back, but to him Steph was worth it and he was going to make Vince see that.

"Vince, I was really planning on talking to you about this, it's just Stephanie has told me about how you felt about her dating wrestlers. I know that is no excuse for being dishonest, but I'm just crazy about her. She so amazing and sweet and smart and beautiful. I just love being around her."

It was now Vince's turn to be shocked. He was surprised that Paul had opened up to him like that. But then again, he was happy that this young man, one which he had come to admire, seemed to care just as much for his daughter as she did him.

"Ok well I honestly wasn't expecting that. But I am glad you felt comfortable being honest with me." Vince said reaching over to shake Paul's hand. He looked him square in the eye before saying, "I just have one more thing to say to you. If you hurt my daughter, I will hurt you." Paul was again speechless.

"Don't worry Vince; I'll treat like the princess she truly is." Paul said with a huge grin on his face. "Well I'm going to go get ready for the show. Thank you so much Vince." Paul said before leaving the office.


	13. Falling

Chapter 13

_Falling_

Her heart skipped a beat when she felt his hands run up her thigh as they sat on the couch of her home in Greenwich. The couple had a couple days off before the next show so they decided to spend it together and alone. After a little over a month together, they couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other. No other man had ever made her feel the he did with just a simple touch. His kisses sent her crazy with need to be closer to him. She suddenly felt herself being pulled closer to him and before she knew it she was in his lap. That was when she broken their passionate kiss to look into his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" was Paul response with his famous smirk. Stephanie could help but laugh at his comment.

"I thought we were going to actually go out today!" Stephanie said as she looked at the clock and realized that the day was halfway gone and they were still in their pajamas.

"I know but I just love being with you, Steph. When we are on the road, we never get to do this."

"So you don't want to go out at all today?" Stephanie asked looking directly into his eyes.

"How about we spend some time together now and then later we go out for a nice dinner?"

That idea obviously pleased Stephanie because she leaned over and captured his lips in a deep passionate kiss. Her hands cupped his face pulling him closer and kissing him deeper as every second passed. They finally reluctantly pulled apart for air and looked deeply in to each other's eyes.

Paul loved kissing Stephanie, each one was better than the last, but that one was just wow. Her soft, luscious lips on his drove him crazy. Everything she did drove him crazy. When she smiled at him his heart would beat a little faster. Whenever she touched him it would send shivers down his spine. She was just so beautiful and he was falling for her. He felt so lucky that she was so happy with him. He also loved that they had Vince's blessing because it meant a lot to him that Vince felt he was good enough for Stephanie.

Even though he knew not everyone was happy with his relationship, he didn't care because he had the most beautiful girl in the world and he loved her. Yep, he had finally admitted to himself that the he was in love with her and falling harder every second. He hadn't told her that yet, though. He was just waiting for the right time, the right moment.

* * *

After spending some intimate time together just the two of them, they got up and all dressed up to go out to Stephanie's favorite restaurant in Greenwich. The both looked gorgeous and couldn't keep their hand or lips to themselves. Stephanie was wearing a short dark blue formfitting dress that hugged in all the right places. He her hair was down and wavy. The contrast between her dark hair and makeup and the blue of her dress really brought out her beautiful eyes and when Paul saw her he was speechless. He really no longer wanted to go out when he saw how beautiful she looked.

Paul also was looking very dapper. He was wearing a black suit with a black button up shirt. He was gorgeous. Stephanie almost had to stop herself from drooling. It took all the energy in her not to take him up on his offer to stay in tonight. She figured they'd have even more fun later because they waited until after a nice dinner. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. By the time they got to the restaurant all either of them could do is think about how they couldn't wait to get back home.

After enjoying a very quick but nonetheless romantic dinner, the couple headed home. They were hand and hand and just couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other. They were engaged in a passionate lip lock as they made to her bedroom. Instead of ripping each other's clothes off, they decided to change into something more comfortable.

As Steph made her way over to her dresser to find some sexy lingerie, she noticed the light on her answering machine blinking letting her know that she had a new message. After grabbing some things some things to change into, she made her way over to the night stand. While waiting to hear the message, she was momentarily distracted when she felt Paul's soft lips on her neck. She then turned her head to meet his lips and kissed him deeply. Their actions were halted however when they heard her father's booming voice over the answering machine.

"_Hey sweetheart, its dad! I was just calling to let you know that I need to discuss some things with you and Paul. I know he is in town with you this weekend so I was hoping that the two of you could come over to the house some time tomorrow. Since you're out, I guess I'll just talk to you in the morning. I love you, bye."_

Both of them were curious as to why her father wanted to meet with them. Unable to figure out what he could possibly want, they just guessed that it had something to do with work. Her father was a workaholic, so days off had a different meaning for him than the rest of the world.

Not wanting to spend any more time thinking about work or her father, she pushed him on to the bed before climbing on top of him kissing up and down the column of his neck. His moans were driving her crazy. She then felt his hands running up and down her back. She finally looked into his dark, hazel lust-filled eyes and she knew that it was going to be a long night and she couldn't wait.


	14. Cooling it

Chapter 14

_Cooling it_

Vince McMahon sat in the study of his lavish mansion as he awaited the arrival of his daughter and her boyfriend. He sat in his chair smoking a cigar mentally preparing his self for the hard task ahead of him. He knew today was not going to be an easy day.

The most important things in Vince's life were his family and his business. He made a practice of always doing what was best for both. He loved wrestling. He loved his job. He loved and respected all of his wrestlers. The World Wrestling Federation was his life. He loved that he could be around wrestling all the time because he loved it so much as a kid. It had been his dream since he was a young boy.

He was proud that he weekly provided entertainment for millions of people around the world. He loved that he could work side by side with his wife and that they had built something great together. He loved that that successful empire became on in which he was able to give his family anything they could ever want. His children went to the best schools and he was able to give them everything they could ever ask for. Now both of them, after getting an amazing education, had come to work for him.

One of the other things he enjoyed was his relationship with his wrestlers. He respected them and they reciprocated. Even though he was their authority figure, he had created an environment in which his employees were comfortable with him. In that environment they could basically tell him anything, both their highs and their lows. He always loved that, well until today at least.

Over the past several weeks he had been getting visits from many of his performers expressing their concerns over the relationship between his daughter and Paul Levesque. At first he had brushed it off. Even though it was none of their business, he made a point to listen to everyone though because he never wanted any of his employees to feel as though their opinions didn't matter. At first, he didn't let it bother him. He didn't expect everyone to be happy with his daughter's relationship, but at the same time, he felt as though it was no one's business but hers.

During the last couple of weeks, his concerns grew, as some of his top wrestlers were coming to him with the same concern. None of them would ever say anything about themselves but made a point in letting Vince know that many felt that the only reason "Triple H" was champion was because he was dating the boss' daughter. Though Vince knew it couldn't be further from the truth, he didn't like his employees feeling that way.

Over the years, he had built a family like environment, which most of the time was without drama. He hated that there was suddenly tension backstage, especially since it involved his daughter's relationship. He also hated that all Paul's success was suddenly being downplayed now because of the relationship with Steph. Vince always saw Paul as one of his hardest working employees, even when he and Paul didn't see eye to eye and Paul spent years jobbing to other wrestlers, he never once complained. He always went all out and gave his absolute best and Vince was proud that Paul worked for his company.

Over several day of thinking the situation out, Vince realized that instead of thinking with his heart, he had to do what was best for business and unfortunately Paul and Stephanie's relationship was causing problems for his business and he needed to figure out some way to restore order in his business. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his daughter's voice in the foyer. He took a few deep breaths before going to greet his daughter.

"Hey daddy" was the greeting he got when he saw his daughter. She had the most beautiful smile. She looked so happy. He just hoped she'd understand why he had to do this.

"Hello sweetheart, Paul" Vince said pulling his daughter into a deep hug before shaking Paul's hand.

Vince then led the couple into his study and directing to him to take a seat. He looked them both over for a few moments, not knowing how to start. That was when Steph asked him if something was wrong. He realized then that he just needed to be completely honest. He explained to them both about the complaints that he had been given regarding their relationship. They were both actually shocked.

Apparently everyone had been completely pleasant to the duo but some went behind their back to Vince to complain. Though they weren't expecting such a reaction to their relationship, they didn't seem to care that others didn't like it. Vince, however, did care. He went on to explain to them the importance of team morale and that if the wrestlers weren't happy then that could affect the business.

Both Paul and Steph seeme d concerned when Vince got to this part of the conversation. They didn't like where he seemed to be going with this conversation and were worried as to where it might lead. That was when Vince voiced his concerns as they pertained to Paul career. Paul was adamant that he didn't care what anyone else thought. Vince, on the other hand, did care. He explained that right now Paul deserved to be champ, he had earned that position, and it wasn't good for the company if the someone who didn't deserve to be champ was in that position. He explained that their relationship could not only hurt his career but the status and importance of the WWF championship as well.

They were all silent for a long moment before Stephanie finally spoke up and asked the question he knew she probably already knew the answer to. She put her head down when he explained that it was best for the company if they cooled their relationship down for a while. He instantly saw the heartbreak in Paul's piercing hazel eyes. When he looked over to his daughter, she wouldn't even look at him. Or maybe she just couldn't. Realizing that his daughter was not going to look up at him, he continued. He asked them to respect his decision and try to spend some time apart because it was good for business. He apologized before telling them that if their relationship was meant to be then it's meant to be.

As soon as he finished saying those words, he saw his daughter get up and leave the room. She never stopped once to look at him. After a few moments, Paul got and shook his hand before dismissing himself and telling Vince he would see him for the next show.

After a few moments, he looked out the window and saw them leaving in her car. He knew that they were going to follow through with his request for two reasons: the first being that Stephanie didn't argue with him about it and the second being they both love the business and would do anything for it to succeed. Though he was happy that things were hopefully going to get back to normal at the office, he couldn't get over the look in Paul's eyes and the fact that his daughter wouldn't look at him.

He knew that they were starting to get close but they hadn't been together that long so he wasn't expecting them to be so hurt. Linda had warned him though; she could see how close they were getting. She told him that he should've never given them his blessing if he just going to take it back weeks later. He was not happy but at the end of the day he just hoped it all worked out for the best.


	15. If you can’t be with the one you love…

Chapter 15  
_If you can't be with the one you love…_

Paul sighed heavily as he made his way to his locker room after a grueling match with the Rock. He was tired and sore, but more than that he had to get away from the arena, so he was ready to go home. Though he loved his job, these days being around anything related to the WWF was painful.

The reason it was painful was because it always brought his thoughts back to his onscreen wife, Stephanie McMahon. His storyline had now become both the best and the worst thing happening to him in his life now. It was the best because he got to be with Steph and the worst because after the cameras stopped rolling they had to go their separate ways. They had to show the world that they were in love, that wasn't the hard part though. The hard part was pretending that they weren't in love. It was ignoring their feelings for each other.

When Vince asked them to stop seeing each other, Paul felt like someone stabbed him in the heart. What hurt worse though was the look in Stephanie's eyes that night before they went their separate ways. She cried that night, he wanted to also but he stayed strong for her. The hardest part of being around her now is that she still has that same look in her eyes, even when she's smiling or laughing, he can still see it. Though she does a good job of hiding the hurt, she can't fool him. For a while, she had stopped trying to hide he hurt from him. For a_ while _anyways…

When they first broke up, they never really stopped talking. Though they stopped seeing each other, the still talked all the time. They were as close as ever. Well they were being the operative word. They really don't speak at all anymore, only when they absolutely have to. They stopped talking on the phone and the letters stopped too.

Paul couldn't stop thinking about how it happened though. They were on the phone late one night just talking. Paul started out teasing her about how he was surprised she didn't still live in her daddy's huge mansion. Steph pretended to be offended as she went on about how independent she was and had always been.

Somehow the conversation turned to Paul's house. Steph loved his house but had only been there once or twice. She wondered how he decided on that house, basically what made him buy it. Paul explained how he and Joan had picked it out and bought it together. For some reason that seemed to bother Steph and she got silent for a few moments. Paul realized something was wrong when she still hadn't said anything.

When she finally spoke again, she asked a question that he had hoped she wouldn't. It was then that Paul explained to Steph that he and Joan owned their home together and neither really wanted to sell. She then asked if Joan still lived there too. As soon as he finished answering her question, it was as if he could feel their relationship changing. It was like deep in his soul he could feel her pulling away. She hung up shortly after that.

He tried calling her back, but knowing it was probably him, she didn't answer. He repeatedly tried calling her for days until he finally saw her a few days later before Raw. He tried explaining to her that even though Joan and he lived together, they weren't together and were sleeping in separate bedrooms. She said she didn't care, though, and that maybe it would be easier for both of them to move on if they just made a clean break.

So now they didn't talk anymore. Even though it hurt both of them, she felt that it was better this way. Even though he hated the distance between them, he respected her and if this was what she wanted than he was going to do this for her.

Instead of spending the night at the hotel like he usually did, he decided that he was just going to go straight home and spend the day tomorrow resting. When he got home her noticed her gym bag on the floor. It was not the _her_ he wanted to see but it was Joan's house too so he really couldn't complain. He just shook his head as he made his way to his bedroom to sleep.

After sleeping in longer than he had months, Paul finally got up around noon. Every since his break up with Stephanie, he couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned every night. Last night, he finally gave out just from exhaustion. Deciding that sitting around all day was just going to cause his thoughts to turn to Stephanie, he figured he should do something productive. So after taking a shower, he headed to the kitchen to make himself something to eat before he headed to the gym.

When he got into the kitchen, he was surprised to find Joan there. Though they still lived together, they had managed to avoid each other as much as possible. They had been broken up almost 3 months now and during that time he had fallen in love with Stephanie. When they first broke up, Joan left the house for a while; she didn't move out, she just didn't stay there. He didn't know where she was and he really didn't care either. For the last couple of months, he had spent most of his time in Connecticut with Steph. Now that they had broken up, he was back at his house and bumping into Joan more and more. Even though they saw each other a lot more they really didn't talk.

For the first time in a long time, Paul actually was feeling kind of lonely. Shawn was in Texas raising his kids and taking an extended vacation from wrestlling even thinking of retiring. He had lost Stephanie, who was not only his heart but his best friend too. So even though Joan wasn't who or what he wanted, at least she was someone to talk to. When they first broke up, she had taken a hiatus from work but now she was back and had her own onscreen relationship now with Eddie Guerrero. Luckily for him, she was gone during his drama with Stephanie because the last thing he needed was someone to make it worse.

He was almost done cooking his brunch when he heard her voice.  
"So Paul how are you today?"

"I'm fine Joan, you?" Paul was definitely curious as to what she was up to. Whenever they talked it was about work (excluding Steph, of course) or about bills for the house.

"I'm good. I was just thinking that it's our day off. We should go out and do something fun like we used to".

Joan truly missed Paul. She always thought that he was the love of her life. She had hoped that one day they would get married and he would father her children. She had realized that she had been a jealous witch and wanted another chance to make it right. Her heart was broken and the only way to fix it was to get him back so now she was making every effort.

"Well I'm going to the gym now, Joan" Paul said. He really didn't want her anymore. Part of him would always care for her, but he no longer felt like she was the woman he was meant to be with. He looked over to her and quickly noticed the look of disappointment in her eyes. "You can come with me if you want to though". When he saw the excitement in her eyes, he realized that she still loved him. He often wondered if she loved him as much as he loved Steph. If she did, then he could only imagine how much their break up had hurt her. He suddenly felt bad.

That day, they worked out together for the first time in almost a year. When they got home, they talked. This talk wasn't small talk like they usually had; they had a heart to heart. Paul really didn't do much talking but he certainly did a lot of listening. He never told her about Steph, he let her assume that she hadn't moved on either. Not because he wanted to lie to her or to hurt her, it was just too hard to even talk about Steph anymore.

For the first time he understood some of Joan's pain. He saw that she was truly insecure and jealous of Stephanie. That made him feel guilty. He never wanted to make Joan feel inferior to someone else, he just couldn't help that he was drawn to Stephanie. He looked into Joanie's eyes and saw the pain. Even though it wasn't his fault, that pain was because of him and he felt that he had to do something to fix it.

About a month later, Paul and Joan went to dinner at his parents' home for his father's birthday. While Joanie was in the family room with his father, brother-in-law, niece and nephew watching a home video of his nephew's baseball game, Paul was in the kitchen with his mother and older sister.

Both of them noticed that Paul hadn't been the same. Even though he was trying hard to look happy, they knew he wasn't. They could see it because they knew him. Even though they didn't hate Joan, she wasn't exactly their favorite person. They just never felt she was the one for Paul. They just weren't the right fit.

Those thoughts, however, became clearer when they saw him with Stephanie. He had brought her to meet them right after Vince gave them their blessing. Paul's family loved Stephanie. They thought she was great. What they loved most was how Steph looked at Paul. His whole family could see how much she loved their Paul. What they also noticed was how Paul talked about her and the way his face lit up when he talked about her. They also noticed that that didn't happen when he spoke of Joan.  
"So little bro how's life?" His sister Lynn asked.

"Everything's fine, Lynn" Paul said knowing his sister well and knowing that soon she was going to start meddling.

"So how's work?" Lynn asked. What she really wanted to know was how her brother could get back with his ex-girlfriend when he obviously was in love with someone else.

"Why Lynne?" His sister cared about his career but never really asked about his job. She was always more interested in his personal life. He gave his older sister a look which she knew meant that she should just ask the question she wanted the answer to instead of beating around the bush. So she asked him about Steph. Though he should've been prepared, he wasn't ready for that question.

Though he thought about Steph every second of every day, he didn't like talking about her because he was always overcome with memories of their time together and it hurt to think about it. When she asked why he got back with Joan, he explained that he had hurt Joan and that he wanted to make things right with her. His sister noticed that he never once said that he missed her or that he still loved her. His sister then asked him something that he never thought about: _how would Steph feel when she found out they were back together._ He had never thought of that. He never wanted to hurt her. It was then he realized that he had probably ruined any chance for him and Steph.

Later that night, as he lie in bed next to Joan. He couldn't stop thinking about Steph. He had to accept that they were through though. He had to let her go. Also it wasn't fair to Joan to hold out hope that he could get Stephanie back. As he looked over to Joan and saw her sleeping peacefully, he couldn't help but think of that oh so familiar saying _"If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with"._ It played over and over in her head as he pulled Joan close and fell asleep.


	16. Worse than heartbreak

Chapter 16

_Worse than heartbreak_

McMahon's were supposed to be tough. They were strong and not let things get to them. These days, however, Stephanie McMahon wasn't feeling very tough. In fact, she felt weak. It took all of her energy to get out of bed every day. She could never figure out how she got the strength to actually get through a full day of work. She once loved her ob but everyday it was becoming more of a chore. Why? Well that was because work meant playing the role of devoted wife to her ex's character.

The part of the day she looked forward to the most, was now the part she dreaded. She used to look forward to kissing Paul and being in his arms but now she hated it. She hated it because as soon as she would get used to not being that close to him, she would have to again. She really enjoyed being that close to him, but then it would end. That was the part she hated. She loved his touch so when it would end, she almost physically ached for it.

Stephanie was basically just tired and heartbroken. It had been three months since she and Paul had broke up and it still hurt just as much as it did that day. What hurt her the most, though, was that she couldn't seem to move on, even though Paul had.

She remembered that day like it was yesterday; the first time she saw them together. So many emotions tore through her body. They had just finished the show. On her way to the limo, that was when her heart broke again. She saw the man she loved walking Joan to his car, they were holding hands and laughing. He opened the door for her and they both seemed so happy. Words couldn't even describe the pain she was in.

That night she was supposed to have dinner with her parents but she couldn't do it. She held strong though. Somehow she managed to hold back the tears until she was alone in her hotel room. As soon as she got through the door and shut it, she fell to the ground and dissolved into tears. She couldn't understand how this was happening to her. All she could do was play the memories of her in Paul in her head over and over trying to understand what was going on now. All she could think about was being close to Paul and being in his arms and how he told her all the time how much he cared about her. She thought of the day they got together and all the things he said and how hard he fought to give them a chance. _Were those all lies? Obviously I didn't mean much to him if he wants her. _That was all she could think about.

Part of Steph hated herself for thinking that way. Yes, she wanted him to be happy, she loved him so much. But sometimes she wondered what if, you know. What if her father hadn't asked them to stop seeing each other? Would he still have gone back to Joan? Obviously he still cared about her since he was back with her. What if she hadn't stopped talking to him? She loved him. But it hurt her to know that he and Joan shared a life and home and she couldn't have the same things because it wasn't good for her father's business. She didn't want to stop talking to him but she couldn't help but feel insecure when it came to his relationship with Joan. He and Joanie were together almost 4 year while she and Paul were only together a month and a half. He and Joan shared a home together while she and Paul had only shared a bed for a little over a month. Paul and Joan had a life while all she had was a dream.

All those what if only made her feel worse. She did this every night and was determined to put a stop to it. She and Paul were done. He went back to his old life as if she and their relationship didn't exist so she need to move on. Pining away after an unavailable guy who she obviously didn't mean much too was only going to make it harder for her to move on and cause her more pain in the long run. She decided that it was past time to move on.

She had even started taking action to help heal her broken heart. Luckily for her, things going on with her storyline made it easier to not dwell on who she was missing.

First her father and some members of creative unfortunately decided that keeping Triple H and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley was important. However, to ensure that the duo wouldn't get boring, (like that would ever happen), creative decided that they needed some angst. So now they were embroiled in a love triangle with Kurt Angle. Stephanie didn't like the idea at first but it was definitely growing on her.

She loved hanging out backstage with Kurt. He was so much fun. He made her laugh which was rare because she was usually so upset. He was her confidant and one of the few people she let in on how much pain she was in. Kurt became like her on the road brother. Though she had Shane, and told him everything, he wasn't always on the road and when she needed a shoulder Kurt was there.

Another perk of the storyline was that since the happy couple were often at each other's throats she didn't have to worry about being so close to Paul anymore. Yea, they still had their moments, and yes it was still a sweet torture, it wasn't happening as often as it had and she liked that.

The second thing she did was put away reminders of him. First she took down the pictures and put them in a safe place. Then she put his letters away with the pictures. She erased the voice messages that he had left on her answering machine that she had saved just so she could hear his voice. She knew that she would still have to see him at work but constant reminders of him at home was just going to cause her more misery.

The final step of her plan of moving on was to try and start dating and tonight was her first date. Her sister in law and best friend, Marissa, had told her over and over that sitting around moping over Paul was not going to make her feel any better. Finally after 3 months of hearing that she finally realized that she was right. So tonight was her first date with a new guy. Technically it was their second because the first was a double date with Shane and Marissa because Steph didn't do blind dates. The guy was nice, smart, funny and even good-looking, but he wasn't Paul. She knew that eventually she would have to stop thinking that way but for now at least she was making an effort to get over him.

She knew one day the pain would start to hurt less, and after that it would get easier. Well, that's what she hoped anyway.


	17. The Letters

Chapter 17

_The Letters_

Joanie Laurer's life should've been going perfect. Professionally she had just finished a run as intercontinental champion and she was involved in a highly popular storyline with her good friend Eddie Guerrero. She was a fan favorite and loved her job.

Her personal life, however, wasn't going as great. She really couldn't figure out what they problem was. She and Paul were just in a rut. First there was their break up, which was mainly her fault. She realized that her irrational jealousy was part of the reason they broke up. But they got over that. She trusted him now. Every since she and Paul reconciled, they never got back to how great they used to be. At first she just thought that she was expecting too much too soon, but now she was starting to think that they'd never get back to how great they were together. They were definitely both trying though.

Paul had stopped going out with his friends and had limited his contact with Stephanie to only when they had to film a promo or when she accompanied him to his matches. For the first time since the very beginning, Joan was enjoyed and even supported his storyline. She was happy that they duo was so unhappy that all they did was argue and there was now limited amounts of PDA. Now that they were in full love triangle mode there was a chance that the storyline could come to a complete end.

Paul's lack of trying wasn't the problem, but Paul definitely was her main issue. He was just so distant now and he had never been that way before. If he wasn't home every night she would think he was cheating but she trusted him now so she knew he wasn't. Paul used to at least entertain her ideas and dreams of marriage but now it was the last thing he wanted to talk about. When she would mention children, he would go on and on about how his main focus right now was his career. Joan was ready to settle down though. She was 30 and ready to think marriage and kids. She wanted all of those things with Paul, but he didn't seem that interested.

What she also noticed was how quiet and moody he was these days. They used to talk for hours about everything, now he wouldn't open up. Whenever she talked about how miserable she was when they were apart, he would change the subject or say it didn't matter because they were together now. Whenever she tried to pry into how he was when they broke up, he wouldn't open up. She assumed that he had a random fling with some girl, and knowing how jealous she gets, just doesn't want to tell her. He just wasn't himself anymore and she was determined to figure out why.

"Hey sweetie, how are you today?" Joan asked Paul as he entered their kitchen.

"I'm fine, Joan. What's up with you? Paul asked flatly.

"Nothing, really. I was just hoping that we could spend the day together."

"Doing what?" Paul asked, though he didn't seem very interested.

"I don't know, just hang out, and maybe talk". Joan suggested enthusiastically.

"Talk about what?" Paul asked, wondering what they could possibly talk about. Things had been going fine with them lately. They hadn't fought in a long time. Other than work, he couldn't figure out what she wanted to discuss.

"I just wanted to talk about us. I don't know…maybe our future" Joan said with a shrug.

"What do you mean Joan?"

"I'm talking about commitment Paul" Joan said starting to get irritated. It bothered her that he no longer seemed as invested in their relationship as she was. She wanted a future with Paul and he didn't seem interested.

"Commitment? What do you mean?"

"Paul we have been together four years, don't you think it's time we took a bigger step."

"So are you suggesting that I'm afraid of committing to you or something" Paul asked trying not to look bored with the conversation, but at the same time he didn't want to argue with her. He had gotten really good at avoiding pushing her buttons. They didn't fight anymore because he really just didn't have the energy to fight with her. He didn't see a point.

"That's exactly what I'm saying" Joan said with an attitude. Paul had been stonewalling her for a while. She wanted him to open up to her. If she had to start an argument with him to get a reaction out she was not above doing that.

"Joan, we live together and have for years. If you don't think that's commitment, then maybe I should buy you a dictionary so you can look the word up" Paul said with a smirk. He wasn't trying to push her buttons but he couldn't help but find this conversation amusing. He knew she was serious and she had not been subtle about wanting to get married but he wasn't ready. He didn't know why but even after all these years, he couldn't see himself married to Joan and having kids with her. _The only time he saw that life was with….well it doesn't matter anymore because they aren't even together anymore_.

"I'm glad our relationship is a joke to you, Paul."

"When have I ever said our relationship was a joke?"

"It's just how you act. Look I know moving in together was a big step but don't you think after three years, it's time to make another one."

"Honestly, I'm fine with how things are in our relationship now. I don't want to take another step. I'm not ready to get married or have kids. If that's not good enough for you then you are welcome to leave."

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"Did I say I was?

"Well, Paul, you don't say much of anything these days so I usually have to read between the lines."

"Why are you trying to start an argument?"

"Because it seems to be the only way I can get a reaction out of you anymore."

That was when Paul walked away from Joan like she wasn't even talking. He wasn't going to argue with her, there was really no point. He wasn't going to budge and neither was she. She would eventually get so upset that she would cry and he would rather just avoid the whole situation. Unluckily for him, Joan had followed him and was pissed.

"Where are you going? I wasn't finished." Joan screeched with her hand on her hip.

"I AM NOT ARGUING WITH YOU" Paul yelled. Joan was shocked at his outburst. That was the most amount of emotion he showed in all the time they had been back together and since before they broke up. She was silent until she saw him grab his keys and jacket and headed for their front door.

"Where are you going Paul?"

"Out!"

"Out where?"

"Joan I just need to get away from here for a while before I say some things that I'll probably regret."

He slammed the door shut after saying that. Joan was so angry, she felt like his head was going to explode. She just wanted to know what was going on with Paul. Why he wasn't happy anymore? Why there was so much tension between them? Why he didn't want to marry her? That was when her insecurity came back. Even though it was irrational to think, she had convinced herself that Paul was seeing someone else. That had to be why he was so distant and didn't want to get married. That was why he wouldn't tell her what he was thinking.

Joan's mind was going into overdrive with the possible reasons of why Paul was acting the way he was and the only one that made sense to her was that he was hiding something or better yet he was hiding his relationship with someone. Since Paul wasn't going to tell her, than she had to figure it out herself and that was what she was going to do.

In the past, she had respected his privacy but today she wasn't above snooping. She started going through his gym bag, maybe she could find a clue or something. When she didn't get any luck there, she searched his suitcase. She even went so far as to check every pocket of every pair of jeans or shirt he had in the bag. No luck again. That was when she saw the briefcase.

And just like her luck with everything else today, it was locked and she didn't know the code. After trying to guess and failing multiple times, she used a knife to pry the lock open. Was it wrong? She figured no because when you love someone you don't hide things from them and she deserved to know everything there was to know about her future husband. She looked through it once and there wasn't really anything interesting in there. There was his contract for a body building magazine shoot and his new WWF contract. Other than that she didn't see anything.

After putting his clothes from the suitcase into the laundry, she found herself thinking about the briefcase. So she decided to give it another look through. Maybe she should look over his new contract and compare his pay and perks to hers; maybe she could get a raise. When she went through the case the second time, that was when she notice the extra pocket, one in which she had overlooked the first time she looked through the case. When she reached in the pocket, that's when she found them. The letters. There were like 4 or 5 of them. She didn't recognize the handwriting but she knew that they were addressed to Paul. He had never told her about the letters and wondered who they were from.

Figuring what was his business was hers; she opened the first one right up and read it. He heart instantly sunk when she realized that it was a love letter and when she saw the signature she thought she was going to pass out. The letter basically talked about how much the boss's daughter cared about Paul, how much she missed him and how she loved their time together. Joanie was shocked, but having the instinct to trust her beau, she figured that Steph had an unrequited crush and that was understandable because Paul was gorgeous.

Then she wondered why Paul never told her and why he had kept the letters? That was when she read the rest of them. What she did realize though, was that not only did they have a relationship, but these letters were almost in conversation form. Steph would ask a question and it seemed she was answering others when she read what seemed to her like random pointless information. That was when it hit her. He obviously sent responses to these letters.

She was overcome with pain. Maybe this is why he is so distant. I was right all along. He cheated on me with Stephanie. The fact that they were apart during the dates on the letters, didn't matter to her. He was hers and he was with another woman. To her it was betrayal. Even though the last letter was dated to at least 4 months prior to that date, she had convinced herself that Paul and Steph were still together and having an affair behind her back. Even though she was heartbroken, she didn't want to lose Paul. He was so special to her. He was different from any guy she had ever been with. When other guys crack insensitive jokes about her being masculine, he made her feel beautiful. She couldn't lose him. She wouldn't. That was when the flood gates opened and the tears started. It was then that she came up with the idea to call Vince. He would put a stop to this. There was no way he would allow his precious princess to be with a wrestler. Yea that's how she would keep Paul. She'd have Vince end it.

Little did she know, Vince had ended it months ago, her boyfriend just wasn't over Stephanie yet. That's why he never threw her letters away. That's why he needs to get away from Joan, because if he had stayed he probably would've told her the truth. The only woman he could see himself marrying was Steph. He was just sitting now. When he left his house, he just got in his car and drove. He just drove not in any particular direction; he just had to get away. Now he was just sitting in his car looking at a picture. It was of him and Steph. For some reason, whenever he tried to get rid of it, he just couldn't. He realized that he really didn't want to either.

What he did want though was Stephanie. He also realized that Joan wasn't wrong for wanting to get married; he was for giving her hope that he would ever take that step with her. That when it hit him. Maybe he still did have a chance with Stephanie? What if every day he was with Joan he was ruining his chances with Steph? What if he actually had a choice between the two? Who would he choose? When he asked himself that question, his answer became crystal clear. He wanted Steph and he had to do everything he could to get her back. First step: settle things with Joan.

About an hour and a half later, he was home. It was now pretty late and the house was dark. _Maybe she's asleep. _When he went into the bedroom, he noticed she was gone and so was the suitcase she usually took when they traveled. _Where is she? _As he was about to call one of her girlfriends to figure out where Joanie was, he noticed something was off in the room. Things weren't exactly how he left them. His suitcase was empty. _She probably did the laundry._ That was when he noticed his briefcase with its newly broken lock. _What did she want in there?_ Figuring that she just wanted to look at his contract, he just shook it off. He knew that in a few months, she'd be renegotiating her contract with the company. He probably should be really mad that she snooped through his things, but he honestly didn't care. He had more important things on his mind. Well really just a more important person anyway.


	18. Confrontations and Declarations

Chapter 18

_Confrontations and Declarations _

Joanie Laurer was heated. She had just found out about her boyfriend Paul's relationship with Stephanie McMahon. To say she was devastated was an understatement. It hurt her that he didn't tell her and the fact that he didn't only strengthened her belief that whatever was going on between them was not a thing of the past. She was going to fix things though. She had already talked to Vince. It didn't go exactly like she had planned. She was expecting him to be outraged. But he wasn't he. He basically said that he already knew and that he thought that she and Paul had been broken up.

Joan was hoping that Vince was so upset that he'd call for an immediate end to the McMahon-Helmsley Era. She expected outrage. It was almost as if Vince supported the relationship between them. It was obvious to her that everyone had lost their minds. There was no way that she was going to let Steph have her man. She wanted Vince to break Stephanie and Paul up, then Paul would feel bad for cheating, she would graciously forgive him on the condition that they got married. That was how it was supposed to happen. But no, of course Daddy's little girl was going to get her was. Joan should've anticipated that.

So now here they were getting ready for Monday Night Raw a few hours before the live taping. She was still fuming from her conversation with Vince the day before. She hadn't seen or spoken to Paul since he stormed out of the house on Saturday. After she found the letters, she had to leave the house. Even though he cheated on her, she wanted him. She wasn't going to give him up. If she would've stayed, she would've either killed him or said something to make him leave for good. The second thing was what she feared the most though. Joan was never close to her family and hadn't spoken to her mother since she was a teen. Paul was the only person in the world she had and she wasn't willing to lose him. Especially not to the Billion Dollar Princess.

As if it was fate, or someone reading her mind, Stephanie McMahon had just come into her view. Joan saw her leaving Vince's office and could tell she wasn't in a good mood. Well Joanie was just about to make things worse. Joan plastered on a fake smile when saw walking her direction.

"Hey, Steph. How are you today?" Joan asked in an exaggerated pleasant tone.

"I'm fine, Joan. How are you?" Stephanie asked, smiling genuinely. Even though she hated that Joan was with the man she was still in love with, Joan had never done anything to her so Stephanie had no problem being cordial. That was one of the thing Joan hated about Steph. She was always so nice and sweet. Joan that she had the whole company fooled, because she really was just a home wrecker.

"I was great until I found this yesterday in Paul's briefcase!" Joan said, holding up one of the letters Stephanie had given to Paul. Stephanie was speechless. _How did Joan get that letter? Did Paul show it to her? Does this mean that he has kept them all these months? Does he still care? _Stephanie was drawn from her thoughts when she realized that Joan was still in front of her. And if looks could kill, Vince McMahon would be planning his daughter's funeral soon. Stephanie didn't really know what she was supposed to say. She certainly didn't know what Joan expected her to say.

"I don't know what you expect me to say Joanie."

"I want to know what business you have sending my boyfriend love letter?" Joan said raising her voice, getting angrier by the moment.

"Well Joanie, to be honest, what happened between Paul and me really doesn't concern you." Stephanie said, not in the least bit intimidated b Joan. Yes, she maybe big and muscular but she isn't stupid. She would lose her job and get arrested if she even thought about hitting her. _And Paul well….never mind about Paul. _

"So my boyfriend doesn't concern me?" Joan asked rolling her eyes.

"Look, Joan, I don't know what you expect me to say. Your relationship is none of business. If you want to know what happened between me and Paul ask him." Steph said, officially annoyed. It was bad enough that Joan had Paul, and as much as it hurt, she accepted it. But what she refused to do is be hounded by this woman about her past relationship.

"Look, Steph. Woman to woman, can you please tell me what's going on with you and Paul?"

Steph suddenly felt bad for her. She didn't hate Joan, she just didn't like her.

"Look Joan. There isn't anything going on with me and Paul. We just care deeply for each other. But we aren't together. He's with you and I have moved on too. If you look at the date of the letter I'm sure you'll see that it was written several months ago. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go."

"Well whatever Steph. I don't believe you. I know what you're doing. You better stay away from my man."

Steph had to get away from Joan. She heard ever word Joan had said but she didn't acknowledge that she did. She didn't have the energy to reassure Joan that nothing was going on with her and Paul. That situation was completely uncomfortable. She needed to relieve some stress before the show. And unfortunately for her, her character was still married to Paul's alter ego. The triangle had ended and so did her new relationship. That relationship started out with a double date with her brother and sister in law. Then they went out a couple of times. They just never clicked. He was a really great guy but he wasn't who she wanted.

As if her day couldn't get any worse she ran into the guy she did want. Of course he was as gorgeous as always. When she walked in to the McMahon-Helmsley locker room, she wasn't expecting to see him (it was still early) and she certainly wasn't expecting the smile he gave her when he saw her. It was almost as if he was waiting for her.

"Hey" she said, smiling shyly. In that moment she wanted to run up to him and grab him and kiss him but she knew she couldn't.

"Hey" He said with a huge smile on his face. Steph just looked so beautiful. HE had been ignoring his feeling for months, but that was going to stop now.

"I think Joan is looking for you!" was the saying that interrupted Paul's thoughts.

He really wasn't thinking about Joan right now and he didn't want to be. He just wanted to be in this moment with Steph. All doubts that he had left his mind in that second. He could see the love in Steph's eyes and just hoped that she'd be willing to give them another chance because that was all he wanted.

"I miss you, Steph!" There was a long silence in the room after Paul said that. Stephanie was shocked. She had convinced herself that Paul didn't care anymore. That was how she got through each day. But now she didn't know anymore.

When she didn't respond and wouldn't look at him, he took a few steps closer closing the gap between them. He wanted her to look in his eyes and see how much she meant to him. He then gently cupped her face, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Steph, I miss you so much. I know it's been months since we broke but I just can't get over you. You are all I think about. I want you back." Even though those were the words that Steph and been waiting to hear for months, she wasn't ready for that. She was overcome with so many emotions and her mind was going into overdrive. She wanted him but it wasn't going to work. He had a girlfriend and their relationship was bad for business. She really didn't care about the latter reason but the first one did matter to her, for it the main reason she had cried herself to sleep for months. But no matter how much she still wanted him, she wasn't going to do this.

"Paul, just stop. I don't know why you are saying these things. Besides your girlfriend is looking for you. Maybe you should go find her and talk to her. She has convinced herself that we are having some torrid affair. She already cornered me once today."

"Look, I don't want to talk about Joan, I want to talk about you and me and if there is a chance for us."

"Did you not hear what I just said?"

"I heard you. I just rather talk about Joan."

"Fine. Why do you want to talk about her?"

"She came to me earlier, accused me of basically trying to steal you from her."

Paul was shocked. Joan hadn't been acting jealous at all lately. He really believed that she trusted him. He really couldn't be too upset with her though, he knew he had been distant. To him, that relationship had run its course. Right now, his main focus was the gorgeous girl right in front of him.

"What did she say?" Though he didn't really care what Joan wanted, he knew the only way that Steph was going to talk to him was if he settled this first. He could see that the subject of Joan was bothering her so he had to settle that and figure out what was going on before she was even going to be willing to hear her out about their relationship.

"You didn't know? I guess she found the letters I sent to you, because she showed me one and demanded that I leave you alone." Stephanie was surprised because

Paul was stunned. He now remembered that he had left those letters in his briefcase. He wasn't hiding them, but they were important to him so he kept them in a safe place. That was probably why she left the house too. He realized then, he needed to talk to Joan. So she'd leave Steph alone and so he could end it between them.

"Well I'm sorry she cornered you like that, but I'm really not all that sorry she found those letters Steph. I want you back. I want you back."

"You don't care that she thinks you're cheating on her?"

"The only thing I care about is you. I miss you so much." Paul really had to stop saying things like that to her. With every word she was losing strength to say no to him and losing the willpower to change the subject. She had turned away from him, not wanting him to see the power he still had on her. But the more she thought about it, the more she couldn't get over the fact that he had kept the letters, obviously in a place that they could easily be found. She had put hers away months ago. The next question she whispered so softly, he almost didn't hear her.

"You kept them?" It took a sec to realize what she was asking. Seeing that she was starting to drop the strong guard she put around herself, he went up to her, turned her around to look at him. He looked into her eyes as he spoke, hoping she could see how much she meant to him.

"Of course I did Steph; I couldn't just throw them away. They were important to me. Just like you and this/us is important to me."

"Why? It's obvious that you moved on and didn't look back." Steph said, almost defiantly, crossing her arms and stepping back away from him.

Seeing that this was his chance to tell her what he had wanted to since before they ended their relationship, he spoke up.

"Because I love you, Steph"

Silence once again took over the room. She wasn't expecting that. Maybe she was just hearing things, yeah, he didn't just tell her what she had been hoping for months that he felt. But she still had to be sure…

"What did you just say?" Stephanie ask shakily, almost as if she didn't was unsure of the question or of his answer. That was when he smiled at her. That familiar feeling came over her again. She got the butterflies in her stomach and her heart was racing.

"I said I love you, Steph."

"You what?" That interruption definitely killed the mood. The person at the door was none other than Paul's girlfriend, Joanie Laurer.

Both Paul and Stephanie were so shocked, they almost looked Steph. Joanie was known to overreact so they both knew she was going to blow soon. And Joan had heard their whole conversation. She followed Steph and then listened to everything that was said.

Unfortunately for Paul, Joan's interruption ruined all the progress he had made with Steph and she just left the room, leaving him alone with a very angry Joan.


	19. Meant to be

Chapter 19

_Meant to be_

Paul Levesque was on his way to Connecticut. He was determined to get Stephanie back. Every since they broke up all those months ago, he felt like a part of him was missing. He had to get her back. He had to show her how much he loved her. He tried to once already but Joanie killed the mood. Even though his first try went awry, he was willing to try again. In fact, if he had to camp out on her porch and profess his love to her everyday he would. If she turned him down, he was just going to keep trying. He had already lost her once; he wasn't going to lose her again.

His biggest hope was that it wasn't too late for them. He also hoped that Joan's drama didn't scare her away. If it did bother her, than he would explain that anything and everything that he had with Joan was over and that she was who he wanted and who he loved. After Steph had left the room on Monday, he and Joan broke up. He wished he could say it was a mutual decision, but it wasn't.

The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt Joan, but he did. She practically begged and pleaded with him to stay with her. She said that she could forgive him, that all she wanted was him. He really felt bad for her. He realized then it was time to tell her the truth. He told her that while they were broken up, he fell in love with Stephanie. He told her about how Vince had broken them up and that was really the only reason they weren't together anymore. He could tell that those words hurt her, but he had to be completely honest, he had denied his true feeling way too long. He had hoped the Joan would've gotten the hint when he confessed his love for Steph, but she just didn't want to let him go. When she asked him point blank if he was still in love with her, he couldn't say what she wanted to hear. So she left.

The next day he offered her the house they shared, but she angrily told him that she wanted nothing from him and that she would move out. Luckily for him, she was serious and she moved out all of her stuff of his house today. Their four year relationship was over, this time for good. He could tell that even though Joan was hurting, she knew that it had been over for them a long time and they were better off apart.

His heart started beating a little faster when he turned on to her street. He didn't really know what he was going to say to her. He just had to remind her how great they were together and how much he loved her. He had to tell her everything. He realized the time was now when he pulled up in front of Steph's house. He knew she was home because he saw her car. He took a few deep breaths before taking the short walk to her door.

He knocked and felt those ever familiar butterflies when he heard her voice notify him that she was coming. He almost laughed when he saw the shocked look on Stephanie's face. The only other thing he was thinking was how beautiful she looked. It reminded him of that when they first kissed. Just like that was a new beginning, he was hoping that this would be a new beginning too.

"Hey beautiful!" Paul said smiling.

"Paul, what are you doing here?" Stephanie said completely stunned and not really happy that he was in front of her. She hadn't seen him since the live taping of Raw on Monday; she didn't even show up for Smackdown. She took a sick day and since she had been working very hard, her father was very understanding. She wasn't sick though. She was mostly avoiding Paul and trying to sort out her feelings for him. Part of her hoped that he still loved her but the other part was scared of what that would mean. What would them getting back together mean? What about Joanie? She had so many questions and maybe now she would get her answers.

"Why do you think I'm here?" Paul asked with a shy smile.

"I don't know, Paul, that's kind of why I asked!" Stephanie sarcastically with a hint of attitude.

"I want to talk about us, Steph. You and me. We were talking on Monday and we didn't get to finish." That statement just reminded Stephanie of the pain she felt over Joan. Her guard was definitely up now. She wasn't just going to get caught up in emotions without being sure of what Paul wanted.

"Oh, you mean before your girlfriend interrupted us?" Stephanie said with more than a hint of attitude this time. Paul usually could read Stephanie like a book, but today, he couldn't tell what she was feeling and it made him nervous. Figuring that they needed to get past this Joanie thing before they could focus on them, Paul decided it was now the time to open up.

"Actually, Steph, Joan and I aren't together anymore."

"Is it because of the letters because if it is, I'm sorry?" Stephanie said trying her best to sound sympathetic when in actuality, she was happy that he wasn't with Joan anymore.

"No, it's not because of the letters. It's because I'm in love with someone else. It's because she and I aren't right for each other. It's because I can't get over you and I don't want to." Paul said, looking directly into Steph's eyes, wanting her to see that he was sincere and meant every word. "Even though I never wanted to hurt her, part of me is glad that she found those letters. It was long past time I stopped ignoring what's in my heart. Its time I started living again and not just existing, because that's what I have been doing since I lost you. I love you and only you. And I want you and only you."

Those were the things Steph had been waiting months to hear. She was in love with him and she was sure the he was the love of her life. What she was unsure of though, was his feelings for her. Though his words were beautiful, she wasn't sure what to believe anymore. After a few moments of silence, Paul was unsure if Steph had heard him. So he took a few steps closer, closing the gap between them before speaking up again.

"Steph, did you hear me? I love you and I want you back."

Stephanie was shocked. She wanted him more than anything in the world but his relationship with Joan hurt her tremendously.

"I heard you. It's just that, I don't understand how or why you got back together with Joan. When we were together, we were so happy. I thought we were great together. But obviously you missed her and wanted her back because as soon as we broke up, you went right back to her. It took you no time to get back with her. It's hard for me to believe that you are so in love with me, considering you reunited with your live in girlfriend, that you had been with for years!"

Paul could see now, how much his relationship with Joan hurt her. He could see the pain in her eyes. All he wanted to do was to hold her and tell her over and over again how much she meant to him. He didn't mean to hurt Steph. He obviously underestimated how much he meant to her and how much seeing him with another woman would hurt her. Paul was determined, however, to reassure her of who he wanted.

"I'm so sorry that I hurt you. I got back together with Joan because I was so miserable without you. One day, I was talking to her and I realized that she felt the same way without me. I realized how much pain she was in and even though I wasn't in love with her anymore, I saw the pain I caused her and I wanted to fix it. If I was helping her than it helped take my mind off of you, at least some of the time."

"Obviously you don't realize how much seeing you with her hurt me. You seemed perfectly content with going on without me. It was like I didn't even exist, and our relationship didn't happen, because you went right back to your old life." Steph said, trying her hardest to fight the tears that were threatening to fall. She was going to be strong, she just had to be. She wasn't going to cry, she just wasn't. She had to turn away from him just in case though. She had been holding in so many emotions for so long

"Steph, I lost you and I was miserable. I didn't want her then and I don't want her now. There hasn't been a day that has gone by where I haven't thought of you or missed you. Its over between me and Joan. She even moved out of the house. I wanted you and still do. When I got back together with her, I honestly felt like there was no chance between us anymore. But more and more recently I realized that I never tried to get you back, I just gave up." He said looking her over, before he continued. "I just hope it's not too late now."

"Too late for what?"

"You and me."

"I don't know, Paul."

"Look, I lost you once; I'm not going to do it again. I love you so much, that it hurts. You are the first person I think of when I wake and the last before I fall asleep. And there you are again in my dreams. I realize now that I hurt you and I'm sorry. I'd do anything in the world to make that up to you. With you, is the only place in the entire world that I want to be. I will do anything and everything to prove to you that you are the one for me. You are the one that I'm meant to be with."

Stephanie just stared at him for a long moment. She was overcome with emotion. In that moment she realized that he loved her just as much as she loved him. It was finally time she told him how she felt.

"I love you too. And as much as I tried, I can't get over you. I tried to move on but it just wouldn't happen." Stephanie said looking straight into his eyes. It was then that he grabbed and pulled her close. He never wanted to let her go. She felt so good in his arms. He released her from his tight grip only to bend down to kiss her on the lips. It started out slow and gentle but quickly intensified. He pulled her as close to him as humanly possible. Stephanie eagerly responded. No man had ever made her feel the way Paul did. It was then Paul picked her up and carried her to her bedroom. They made love until late in the night.

A few hours later, Stephanie lay awake in bed thinking. She was so happy to have Paul back in her life but she was scared. She didn't know exactly what was worrying her but she had an uneasy feeling. As if he could sense something was up with her, Paul woke up and pulled her closer. He opened his eyes and saw them most beautiful eyes in the world staring back at him. He noticed something in those eyes but he was unsure of what it was.

"Hey beautiful, what's up?

"Nothing, just thinking. Sorry if I woke you." She said before looking away. She was staring straight at the ceiling and he could tell something was bothering her.

"You didn't wake me…what's wrong Steph?"

"I'm just worried."

"About?"

"I'm worried about a lot of things. Like what if I lose you again? I don't think I could survive that much pain again."

"Hey look at me." He said, pausing waiting for her to look him in the eye. When she obliged and he was sure he had her attention, he continued. "I'm not going anywhere Steph, I love you!" Paul said trying to reassure her by holding her tighter.

"But what about my dad? What about your career?"

"Steph I may be one of few people, but I'm not scared of Vince McMahon. I really don't care what anyone thinks of our relationship. Its none of their business. And as for my career, people are going to think what they are going to think. I can't help that. But I refuse to spend the rest of my life miserable and alone without you because others don't like it. You are too important to me, to give you up because a bunch of people who don't even know me are jealous of us. But if it would make you feel better, I'll talk to you dad. I'm just not giving you up; I have already made that mistake once. I won't make it again." Paul said with a huge smile when he saw the tense look on Steph face disappear and change into the most beautiful smile. Paul really knew his girl, because his words alleviated every fear she had. She finally felt like everything was going to work out and she knew that this time they were back together for good.

"I think we should talk to my dad together…eventually. I just want to enjoy us for a while before we have to deal with what the rest of the world thinks. I love you so much, Paul."

"I love you too Steph." Paul said before pulling her close in a passionate kiss. After breaking for air Steph nestled into Paul's body, laying her head on his bare chest. She could hear his heartbeat and in the moment she was sure she had died and gone to heaven because life never felt this good. Steph's attention was brought back to Paul when she felt a soft chuckle. Curious, she raised her head to look at him before speaking.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking of what your dad said the day he asked us to break up!" He continued when she raised an eyebrow at him. "He said that if its meant to be with us, then it's meant to be. I guess this means we're meant to be Steph."

"Yeah, I guess we are." Steph said smiling, before laying her head back on his chest. Not too long after they were sleeping peacefully in each other's arms, where they were meant to be.


	20. On the right track

Chapter 20

_On the right track_

"_I was wrong!" Those words were the only words in the air as Paul and Stephanie across from Vince and Linda sat in the living room of the McMahon mansion. _

"_What'd you just say?" Steph, Paul and Linda all asked in unison, shocked and unbelieving of the words that had just come out of Vince's mouth. Vince McMahon rarely admitted to being wrong. He was usually adamant about his decisions and stood by them. Vince couldn't help but chuckle at the dumbfounded looks on their faces. _

"_So you two are really in love?" Vince took a good look at both his daughter and the man sitting next to her holding her hand. He was touched to see how they both enthusiastically nodded. He could tell just by looking at his daughter, that she was happy and in love. And because he was such a good father, her happiness was the most important thing in world to him. _

"_Yes". Paul and Steph answered happily and then smiled at each other surprised that they had responded at the same time. They got lost in each other's gaze, as they often did and almost forgot they were in the room with her parents. Almost. The moment was broken when her father cleared his throat. The moment wasn't really as private moment, as her parents saw it too. They couldn't help but smile because their baby girl was head over heels in love and the guy she chose seemed perfect for her. It was also obvious to them that Paul was just as in love with her with the way he looked at her and spoke of her. _

"_As I was saying, I was wrong to break you two up. I can see now that this thing between the two of you is serious. I was just worried about the business, you know. And there were concerns from some of the other wrestlers, especially since Paul was the champ at that time. You do realize that people aren't going to like this, right?" Vince asked looking them over. _

"_Vince, I realize that this puts us all in a tough situation, but I love Steph and this time apart has made me realize that she's the one for me. Being apart doesn't work for us. I don't care what anyone thinks, except those who really matter, like our families. People are going to think what they want. I can't control that. I know there'll be some heat, but for me, our relationship is worth it." Paul said, while squeezing Steph's hand and looking Vince directly in the eye so that they'd both see that he meant every word. The room went silent for several moments after that. Vince and Linda were defiantly touched by Paul's words and in that moment knew for sure that their daughter's heart was in good hands and they couldn't have been more proud. _

"_Ok well then, like I was saying, I was wrong. You have my blessing. And well, when the times get tough, and I'm sure they will, I want you to both know that I'm on your side and you guys have my support." With that Steph got up and gave her father a huge hug. That show of affection touched Vince just as much as Paul's words had. He was glad that his daughter respected his opinion so much. He was so happy that she was so happy and in love. Steph was just pleased that she could finally have both her father's support and the man she loved. _

That was what happened last night and Stephanie couldn't get rid of the huge smile that had been plastered on her face ever since. Her life was pretty close to perfect now. She was falling harder for Paul every day and was starting to think of the future and him in it.

It was then Paul walked in the room and saw the huge smile on his lady love's face.

"What's capturing your thoughts, McMahon?"

"Honestly? You. Us. It's like we are finally on the right track again and now that we have my dad's blessing, it just feels great." Paul was touched that she felt this way; that being with him made her this happy. She was it for him. He wanted her more than anything in the world and he was starting to see that she cared just as much, which made him feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

"Really Steph? You're making me blush!" Paul said giving her a smirk and wink as he walked over to where she was sitting on the sofa.

"Yes, really! Also talk about blushing, how about all that stuff you said to my dad last night?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Paul said with a mock innocent face, while shaking his head.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Steph said raising an eyebrow at him, trying hard to hide the huge smile that was threatening to escape. "I distinctly remember you saying something about our time apart making you realize that I was the one for you."

"Oh that?" Paul said looking down, suddenly shy. He had meant every word but had never really expressed those feelings to Steph.

"Yeah that." Paul couldn't help but look up and smile at the huge smile on her face. Her whole face lit up just at the thought that he loved her. It was then he shifted closer to her on the sofa and looked directly into her eyes.

"I meant every word Steph, I love you. More and more every day." Paul said grabbing her hand. "As much as I hated being away from you, I'm glad we had that time apart because it showed me that the only place in the world I want to be is with you."

"Really Paul? You're making me blush!" Steph said with a smile so big, it was contagious. She felt her heart beating a little faster once he smiled back. It was then that she pulled him close, her hands cupping his face "I love you too, babe, so much. I missed you too though."

Paul then inched his face closer to hers, letting their lips touch ever so softly before kissing her lips gently. That was when she deepened the kiss, stealing her tongue into his mouth. Paul wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Soon he pulled her even closer and now she was straddling his lap. It was then they broke the kiss, with Paul lips anxiously seeking the sweet spot on Steph's neck that he knew drove her crazy. When he heard her moans of pleasure, it only made him craze her more. He made his way back to her lips, kissing her feverishly.

Suddenly Steph felt herself being lifted off the couch as Paul got up and carried her towards the bedroom. When they arrived in her bedroom, Paul laid her on the bed. As he leaned of her, pressing his warm, bare chest against her body she couldn't stop thinking about how lucky she was for having him back in her life. When he noticed she had stopped responding to his kisses to her neck, Paul readjusted his body so that he could look directly into her eyes.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, I just thanking God for bringing the best thing in my life back to me. I love you so much." Steph responded before lifting her head to meet his lips in a gentle kiss.

The made love for the rest of night, both finally knowing that no one and nothing was going to keep them apart this time. She was his and he was hers and neither would have it any other way.


	21. Recovery

Chapter 21

_Recovery._

Paul woke up to pain in his left leg. As he opened his eyes, he remembered he was in Birmingham, Alabama and last night he had surgery to repair his torn Quadriceps tendon. As he looked around the room, he saw her. She was sitting in a rather uncomfortable looking chair by his bed and she was fast asleep. He knew she had to be exhausted. The past couple days since his injury, she had truly been a life saver for him. She was there every step of the way. He loved her so much.

He looked down at his heavily wrapped and bandage leg and couldn't help but feel sorry for himself. Who knows how long it'll be before he could wrestle again. The doctors said he'll be on crutches for a couple months and soon he'll have to start physical therapy. When he asked his physician, Dr. Andrews how long his recovery will take, he said that it could take anywhere between eight months to a year. That hurt Paul. He had been wrestling pretty much every day since he was a teenager, now it'd be months before he was allowed back in the ring.

He repositioned himself in a more comfortable position and he watched her sleep. Since the minute he injured his leg, she had been by his side. She had made sure he had everything he needed. She had done everything: Arranged their travel, gotten him some clothes from home, and made arrangement for him to live while he stays in Birmingham. _He was going to miss her_.

Even though they didn't talk about it, eventually she would have to go back to work. She wasn't just an onscreen personality anymore, she was now working for the creative team and her father considered her an asset that they needed. She loved that job and unfortunately she couldn't do it from Alabama. As watched her sleep, he was once again reminded of how beautiful she was. He could watch her all day. After a few moments, he felt a slight movement and he looked back over and saw her waking up.

"Hey babe, how long have you been up? Why didn't you wake me?"

"Not long. And because you looked so peaceful, and you must be exhausted." Paul said looking at her and seeing the bags under her beautiful eyes. "Why don't you go back to the hotel and get some rest."

"I'm not going anywhere and I'm fine."

"Steph…" Paul started to say before he was interrupted.

"Paul, please don't argue with me. I'm fine. I want to be here. I want to be here with you, so I know you're ok. Besides, I won't get any rest at the hotel knowing you're here all alone in a hospital." Steph said with a serious tone. "Besides, stop worrying about me. How are you? Are you in any pain?"

"No. I'm good right now."

"Are you sure? I can get the nurse and she can give you a little bit more pain medicine if you need some."

"I'm fine, just ready to get out of this place." Paul said.

"You will soon enough. Oh and by the way, I talked to dad earlier. He told me to tell you he wants his favorite champ to get well soon. I gave him your room phone number so he'll probably call here later."

He laughed at the statement from Vince. He loved working for Vince. Even though Vince was one of his closest friends, the thought of him reminded him of work. He then realized Steph and Vince probably talked about when she would have to leave.

"So did you talk to your dad about work?"

"Yea, a little." Steph said plainly, not really wanting to talk about that subject.

"So….when are you leaving?" Paul asked, almost bluntly. Steph laughed at his direct question.

"Why are you trying to get rid of me?" She asked with a smile so he knew she was just messing with him.

"Of course not, I'm going to miss you and I just wanted to know how much longer I had with you until you leave!"

"He wants me at the next Smackdown taping so I'm going to leave on Monday night."

"Wow…that's only a week away."

"I know it's really soon. I wish I could stay and work from here but dad has the huge invasion storyline coming up and he says he really needs me." Steph said sadly as Paul looked away from her. Every since they had gotten back together months ago, they hadn't gone more than a day without seeing each other. This separation was going to be hard for them. Recently their relationship had gotten very serious. They both knew that the other was their soul mate, the one, the one they were mean to be with. But now who knows how long it'll be until things go back to normal. "I'm going to miss you so much though, babe, I love you. But I promise you that I'll be here as much as I can."

"Steph, your job is really important. You should focus on that and only that, not here all the time worrying about me. " Paul said seriously, not wanting to be a burden for her.

"What is with this insistence to get rid of me? I love you and need you in my life. You will never be a burden, so you can go ahead and get that thought out of your head." Steph said, knowing him so well, before getting closer looking him directly in the eye and continuing with a smile. "Besides if anyone in this relationship will be the burden, it'll be me. You'll be so sick of me constantly calling and here all the time, you'd probably welcome the break."

"I'd never get sick of you. The only way you, beautiful, will ever be a burden to me is if you don't kiss me?"

That was when she leaned down and gave him a gentle yet rather passionate kiss. This separation was going to be hard but they both had faith that they'd make it.

6 Months Later.

Paul was on his way back to his hotel after a rough day of doctor's appointments and physical therapy. In fact, the whole week had been bad. After months of progress, he had a minor setback and now he had to use his crutches again. Even though he only has to wear them a couple of days, it was still a delay for his recovery and that meant it would take even longer for him to come back. Days like these made him miss his old life even more. It was frustrating because it was driving him to work harder but all he could to help was to be patient. Birmingham was a nice town and all, but he was sick of being there. He missed his home, his family, wrestling and most importantly, Steph.

She had become a big source of inspiration for him so far during his recovery. She kept her promise as she was there pretty much every other week. When she visited, he always felt better and like he could get through anything. When he was having a rough day, all he had to do was call her and she would drop everything she was doing and cheer him up. She wouldn't hang up or let him until she was sure he felt better.

Lately, though, things hadn't been going as smooth for them. She was really busy, the WWE was just wrapping up the invasion storyline so she had tons of work to do plus they just had a pay-per-view Sunday night. He thought about calling her but knew she has probably tired from Raw last night. For the first time ever he didn't watch it, he was too depressed. He knew some details of how it was going to end, but talking about work usually made him more depressed. Steph knew that so she too started avoiding the subject when talking to him or visiting. That was especially hard for him because not only was she his girlfriend, but his best friend too. He missed her. He hadn't talked to her much the last couple of days.

Part of it was due to her busy schedule but the other part was because he had snapped her on the phone the other day. He had just gotten the news that he would be on crutches for a few days so he was not in the best of moods and she was too tired to argue with him. He didn't even remember what started the argument, but he got angry, which he had never done before with Steph and then told her that he didn't feel like talking anymore and then hung up before she got the chance to respond. The next morning he apologized and Steph understood that he was just frustrated, but he could tell that he hurt her. That just made his mood even worse. But ever since then, they hadn't talked as much as they usually did. He really missed her.  
As he walked into his hotel room, he noticed that something was different. He looked around but couldn't figure out what it was. It was then he heard water from the sink in the bathroom. He when he turned towards the bathroom, he noticed a suitcase in the corner. _Stephanie. _A few moments later, she walked out of the bathroom. When she saw him, the biggest smile formed on her face. It had been almost a month since the last time he saw her and here she was. He was starting to worry about the distance between them especially this last week, he was afraid that they were growing apart. He didn't want to lose her, but here she was.

"Hey" Stephanie said with a smile. _God she missed him._ She didn't realize how much until this moment. This week however showed her that with him is where she wants to be, so now, she is here. She had just completed a major storyline and now she needed a break. And the only place she wanted to spend it is with him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Paul asked, shocked that the person he had been missing so much was now standing right in front of him, looking as gorgeous as ever.

"I missed you!" Stephanie said quietly. With that, Paul hobbled closer to her on his crutches, Steph met him halfway.

"When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Didn't want to ruin the surprise." Steph said wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you and I missed you so much. I'm so sorry about the other day, I was just frustrated, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you." Paul said pulling her close to him. Before he could say anything else, she moved in close to him and kissed him softly.

"Hey, it's okay really. Don't worry about it. It's ok to get mad or even frustrated. I love you even when you are."

"How did I get so lucky to have you?" Paul asked happily. His whole mood had changed now. What had started as a bad day had become one of the best he had had in a long time.

"I often ask myself the same question about you!" Steph responded grabbing his hand and helping him to the couch. "So what did your doctor say today?"

"He said that I over did it a little in therapy the other day and that's why I was in so much pain. Luckily, I didn't re-tear anything and the pain stopped. He said that he wanted me to use the crutches for a couple more days and I can go back to physical therapy the day after tomorrow."

"Well that's good. I was worried about you. I know how important wrestling is to you and any setback is frustrating." She knew him so well.

"Yeah it is. I was so bummed about missing PT a couple of days, but now that you're here, it doesn't seem that bad. How long are you staying?" Paul asked, hoping that it wasn't just an overnight or couple day visit.

"Two weeks" Steph said happily. She needed a break from work and she needed him and for the next couple weeks she was going to get both.

"Really?" Paul asked enthusiastically. He couldn't believe she was going to be with him, in Birmingham for two whole weeks. When he saw her nod enthusiastically, he couldn't have been any happier. "What about work?"

"As you know, now that the invasion storyline is over, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley has been kicked out of the WWE. So until your return, I'm going to be working only with the creative team. And dad well he said that both Shane and I have been working too hard lately so he told us to both take a couple days off and well of course daddy's little girl talked him into extending into a couple weeks."

"Vince actually agreed to that?" Paul asked surprised.

"Well not at first but when I told him I'd be with you, he couldn't have been happier giving me time off. Of course, I have to check the email everyday to answer any questions the team has and my dad will call me if he needs me."

"Wow, Vince is great."

"He thinks just as highly of you." Steph said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"So whatever shall we do with this time together? Paul asked eyeing her seductively.

"I'm sure we can come up with something" Steph said smiling as she leaned over and kissed him.

They spent the next two days in that very hotel room making up for lost time. There was really no need to leave. When Paul went to PT a couple days later, she came with him. She cheered him on the whole time. And while she was there, she'd check her emails and make all the necessary phone call she needed to make so that when he was done, he had her undivided attention. She really came through for him. She became his new inspiration. While before he was pushing to get back to his job, now his hard work was devoted to getting back to her. That trip was just what he needed. She was just what he needed.


	22. Comebacks

Chapter 22

_Comebacks _

It was now January 2002 and Paul finally ready to make his comeback. He was anxious, excited but more than anything he was nervous. He was nervous about his career, the new direction of the character, what the fans would think and if they would even care. He was so deep in thought staring out a window that he didn't notice Stephanie and Vince joining him at the table in the restaurant, where he was waiting for them.

"Paul, how are you today?" Vince's booming voice called startling him. That was when he turned and saw girlfriend of little over a year and his boss.

"Hey Vince, I'm good." Paul said getting up to shake his boss' hand before pulling out the chair next to him for Stephanie. He gave her a light kiss on the cheek before she sat down.

"Sweetie, are you okay? You seemed pretty deep in thought a few minutes ago." Steph said looking him in the eyes.

"Yea, I'm fine, just thinking about Raw tonight."

"Are you excited about your big return tonight?" Vince asked with a big smile. He was excited that one of his best and most talented workers was returning after a long absence. He was so proud of Paul, after more than 7 months of tough rehab, he returned from what could've been a career ending injury and would've been in a lesser men.

Paul looked up at Vince and smiled before saying, "Yea, I can't wait."

Vince returned the smile and looked at his menu before saying, "Let's order, I'm starving."

What Vince didn't notice was the change in Paul voice when he answered Vince's question regarding his excitement over his return, his daughter did however and she was determined to figure out what was wrong. _Later _she thought_. _

They spent the rest of the brunch going over Paul's return. Vince mentioned that since he returned Triple H, the character, will get his long awaited face turn and over the next few months it would start with the ending of the McMahon-Helmsley Era. At first Paul and Steph weren't too happy about the end of the storyline, it was how they fell in love, but the more Vince told them of his plans, the more excited they got. The idea that the two most manipulative people in the WWE were now going to be at odds and going through a divorce was exciting. He told them to come up with ideas on how their characters would try to get back at each other.

After a little over an hour of brainstorming and eating, they split ways with Vince heading to the arena to get things started, while Stephanie and Paul went back up to their room. The whole way up in the elevator, Paul was unusually quiet and Stephanie wanted to know why. As they entered the room, Paul made his way over to the couch and turned on the television. Stephanie followed him over off the couch only to turn off the television.

"Steph, why'd you turn the TV off?"

"I wanted to talk to you!"

"About?" Paul asked.

"I wanted to talk about what's bothering you!"

"I'm fine Steph." Paul said staring directly into her eyes. What he didn't realize was that his girlfriend of over a year knew him better than he thought.

"Well Paul, you aren't acting fine so what am I supposed to think?"

"I'm fine, really, I am." He said trying to avoid this conversation.

"I don't believe you. Just tell me. What's wrong? Is it your return? Or is something else. We always tell each other everything, or at least we used." Stephanie said, trying to get him to open up. He was her best friend in the world and they talked about everything, the fact that he wouldn't open up to her was really bothering her. Paul realized that wasn't getting out of this conversation without causing a fight, so he decided to open up.

After making that decision, he quickly realized how stupid he was for thinking he could keep anything form Stephanie. She had been there for him so much the past year so he knew she'd understand what he was going through now.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a little nervous about tonight." Paul said grabbing her hand and looking into her eyes. Stephanie face quickly softened from the irritated look she had a few moments ago.

"Baby, you never get nervous! Why are you nervous now?"

"I don't know. I'm supposed to do this big in the ring promo tonight and well I guess I'm just nervous to be in front of such a big crowd again after being away so long. I mean they could probably care less that I'm back or that I even left. They probably forgot all about me." He said shyly looking away. He had been gone for a long time. The company now had more people there also. Many of the WCW wrestlers jumped ship and now there were probably new fan favorites. He was brought from his thoughts when he heard Stephanie chuckle. _Was she really laughing at him right now? _She then got up and sat in his lap before responding.

"Baby, you are crazy. Forget about you? The Game? _That _would never happen. I think you'll be surprised by how many of the fans miss you. I can't even tell you how many signs I have seen in the crowd about you. I saw 'we miss you HHH' 'come back soon HHH', and 'we miss you Game' and many more. I saw those signs the whole time. They were there when you left, they were there during the whole Invasion Storyline and they were there when Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley was kicked out of the WWE. They were there when I came back to work after visiting you. Even before you return was announced, people were looking for and waiting for you. The fans love you and miss you. They are probably just as excited about tonight as we are." Steph said with a smile. She knew exactly how to make him feel better she always did.

"So you really think I'm just being silly?"

"No there is nothing wrong with being nervous at all. It's been a long time since you've been out there. But the one thing you need to remember is that the Game is unforgettable." Steph said with a smile so bright that melted all of Paul's nerves away. "I love you!" Paul said sincerely before pulling her close in a sweet kiss that soon turned passionate. When his kisses moved to her neck, Stephanie realized that she had to put a stop to this before they were late getting to the arena. She reluctantly pulled away, getting up and heading to the bathroom.

"Baby, where are you going?" Paul groaned as he got up and followed her.

"I have to get ready, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley is returning to the WWE tonight."

"But so soon?" Paul asked checking his watch, seeing that they still had about an hour and a half before they had to leave.

"Yes, I have to take a shower and curl my hair."

"A shower huh?" Paul asked with that seductive smirk that drove Stephanie crazy.

"Yes, a shower" Steph replied eyeing him suspiciously trying to figure what he was up to.

"Well you know babe, it's important that we conserve water and seeing as I need a shower too…."

"Absolutely not. Don't even think about it." Steph said interrupting him before he could finish his statement.

"Why not?"

"Because if we do what I know you are thinking, we will never get out of her on time. And your first official day back is not one to be late for."

"Well, I was just thinking that maybe that"_thought_" of mine could help release some of these nerves. You know it is my big day. You wouldn't want me all nervous and messing up would you?"

"Well when you put it like that, I guess have to now, right?" Stephanie asked trying to suppress the smile that was threatening to show. She couldn't let him see the effect he had on her.

"Only if you care about my performance later." Paul said. She couldn't help but laugh at that statement.

"So what do you say?" Paul asked even though he could already tell the answer by thesmirk she was giving him while shaking her head. Without saying anything else, he closed the gap between him kissing her, while his hands worked on un-buttoning her shirt…

* * *

A few hours later they were sitting in the McMahon-Helmsley locker room waiting for HHH to make his grand return. They were at the Madison Square Garden Arena in New York, New York. The arena was packed and Paul's nerves had returned. He wasn't scared anymore though. He was anxious, ready to go out there. The adrenaline had taken over. When they announced his segment was next, he couldn't help but get excited after hearing the cheers from the crowd. He and Steph made their way to the gorilla position where Vince and some of his closest friends were. They all wished him luck and welcomed him home.

The crowd erupted at the sound of his entrance music. He took one last glance at Steph and when she gave him the thumbs up, he made his way out. There was one of the biggest pops in history from the crowd. He finally saw what Stephanie was saying. It's not that he didn't believe what she said, it was just never expected such a reaction, he figured she exaggerated a little bit to make him feel better but she didn't. They actually had to restart his entrance music several times so he could make his way around the ring and that so the crowd could die down.

After giving his speech, he made his way back out. To say he was overwhelmed was an understatement; luckily he kept his cool exterior. However, just like always, he was able to fool everyone but her. Steph then whispered something to her father before she grabbed Paul's hand and pulled him towards their locker room. He definitely needed to get away from the crowd that had formed around him. As soon as it was just the two of them, he broke down. All the emotions that he was feeling came out in tears.

After a few moment and he regained his composure to see the love of his life sitting next to him. He pulled her into his arms.

"I love you so much. Thanks for getting me out of there. I don't think I could've made it any longer."

"I don't know you lasted as long as you did. I lost it as soon as I saw you out there in the ring. It was like you were home, where you're supposed to be." Steph said smiling before pulling him into a kiss.


	23. Falling Harder Everyday

Chapter 23

Falling harder everyday

"_Na Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, hey-hey-hey, goodbye" the crowd chanted as Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, soon to drop the Helmsley, was dragged out of the Arena kicking and screaming like a child. _

_Paul couldn't help but smile as he watched his girl play her part. She was just too good at it. They way she would bring out that squeaky screeching voice, was just too amazing in his opinion. And as much as the crowd, booed her, chanted some really derogatory thing and all the signs, it was obvious to anyone that they didn't really hate her; they just loved to hate her. They loved to boo her. They probably just loved watching her throw a tantrum because Paul himself on many occasions had trouble suppressing laughter she was just so good. And the fans just wanted to see her get hers. _

_It just showed Paul how dedicated and talented she was because the real Stephanie McMahon had the biggest heart of anyone she knew and was definitely everyone's sweetheart. He felt so lucky that she was his. Sometimes it baffled him how night and day his Stephanie and Triple H's Stephanie were. _

_He couldn't believe that their storyline was over and that they'd no longer be working together. This storyline had been going on a little over two years, minus the time he was out on injury. He was going to miss getting to hold her and kiss her while they were at work. Some people still had a problem with their relationship, so whenever the cameras' stopped rolling, he and Steph stayed away from each other. _

_Though their relationship was stronger than ever and they were more in love than ever, they were about to flaunt it to everyone, it just wasn't necessary. So now everyday they arrived together, went their separate way, sat away from each other at the staff meeting before each show, did their scenes and did their own thing until the show was over and it was time to go. Though they wanted to spend every second of everyday together, it made it easier for everyone else and less tense if they kept office time 100% professional and kept their relationship to themselves, which they didn't mind because they were both private people. Her new promotion to the head of the creative team helped keep her busy though. _

_Another motivating factor in that decision was Joanie's decision to leave and subsequent interviews claiming that Stephanie stole Paul from her and the couple broke her heart. That didn't sit too well with the boys in the back because they all loved Joanie, she was so sweet and they felt bad for her and made it that much easier to hate on the couple's relationship. That was something that really bothered him for a while. He and Joanie used to be so close, but now he didn't even recognize her anymore. The lies she was telling to gain some kind of public sympathy were crazy. What bothered him the most though, was what she was saying about his girl. No one talked about Steph like that and got away with it. He was steaming mad when he heard some of the things she said about his girl. It was not Steph's fault he fell out of love with Joan and for her to lie to the world about the reason they broke up was completely unforgivable in his mind. What was going on with her? His private life is no one's but his own, for her to make it public knowledge after knowing how private of a person he is shows how little she cares for him. _

_He could care less about Joan though all he cared about was Steph and the things complete strangers were saying about her when they didn't even know her made him so angry. She didn't deserve her name dragged through the mud because his ex was unhappy with their breakup. It wasn't fair to her. All he wanted to do tell everyone what a liar Joan was and that she wasn't as innocent as she made herself out to be. One interview of hers he caught live and he was this close from calling in and calling her a liar. If it wasn't for Stephanie calming him down, he would've called and they would've have an argument on national radio and that's exactly what Joan wanted. Attention. The more they responded to the crazy stuff she was saying, the longer it would stay out there. Eventually people would get bored and stop caring, but if they added fuel to the fire it'd just burn longer. Joan was not worth the stress. Besides everyone who mattered already knew the truth, especially about the stuff that went to down around the break up. Their families loved them and supported their relationship so to them that was all that mattered. His girl was really amazing especially since she was standing by him in such crazy times. Her reputation was on the line, but she didn't care because she had him and that made him feel so great. How did he get so lucky? _

_Paul had to turn away momentarily to keep from laughing hysterically as the officials proceeded to drag Stephanie up the ramp to backstage. He couldn't help but think that he enjoyed her performance almost as much at the crowd did. Yep he was going to miss their interaction. He finally released a small chuckle as she disappeared behind the curtain, before make his grand exit after doing a couple round on the turnbuckle in each corner with his new undisputed WWE Championship. _

Paul left out a soft chuckle at the memory of what transpired at the arena several hours ago as he and Stephanie made their way back to the suite that they were staying in.

"What's so funny, babe?" Stephanie asked looking up at him as they made their way down the hall to their room. They had been walking tiredly in silence until she heard a low laugh coming from her very handsome boyfriend of almost a year and a half.

"Oh, I'm just remembering your stellar performance earlier tonight. That tantrum was really something. No wonder you're daddy's little girl, one tantrum like that and I'd give you your way all the time too." Paul said jokingly as she narrowed her eyes at him. Even with the stern expression on her face, the look in her eye told him that she was amused too.

"I don't always get my way Levesque, and you of all people should know that." Steph said pointedly, somehow successfully suppressing the huge smile that was threatening to form. No matter what he said, being around him almost always put a smile on her face.

"And if you must know, it was the eyes that did it every time. Tantrums got you nowhere with Vince McMahon" she said now with a huge smile on her face.

"Well I can definitely believe that, those eyes of yours are pretty damn irresistible if a do say so myself." Her gorgeous beau said with that infamous smirk on his face that Stephanie found so sexy.

"You want to talk about irresistible, how about the way you're looking at me right now? If you don't hurry up and get me to our room, I might not be able to contain myself and have to show you just how irresistible I find you right here in this hallway."

Paul definitely didn't need any other incentive as he gripped her hand even tighter and practically dragged her down the hall and only let go to reach into his pocket and get the key card and entered their room. Before Steph could even gain her bearings, Paul had her pushed up against the door of their room. Unfortunately for her, he was a little rougher than she was expecting and she couldn't help but wince in pain as soon as her back made contact with the door. She was hoping that Paul didn't take notice, but her ever caring and attentive boyfriend definitely did.

"Babe, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, sweetie, really" She said pulling him and his irresistible lips back to hers. She had been definitely craving them since they left the room earlier today. Being so close to him, kissing him, all the time was definitely something that she was going to miss the most about their storyline. Unfortunately for her, Paul was not having it.

"Babe, what's wrong?" He said a little more forcefully this time so she'd know he was a little serious.

"I'm just a little sore ok. Even though we practiced and you were as gentle as possible, that spine buster hurt. I don't know how you take bumps like that almost every night." She said trying to reassure him that she was fine and she was indeed fine.

In fact when she got backstage, she was limping a little and he father would not let her move until she agreed to go see the tech. So she did and he gave her the all clear, although he did say something about the possibility of her having a slight bruise and soreness the next couple days.

"Well if your sore babe, we should probably just go straight to bed" He said genuinely concerned especially since Steph was known for downplaying any pain and/or exhaustion in any situation. He loved how unselfish she was but it also worried him that she didn't always take the best care of herself. She was already a workaholic, the last thing he wanted was for her to be in pain as well as exhausted.

"Um…let me think…no!" She said as she pretend to be thinking seriously about his suggestion before she her hands pressed against his chest pushing him towards the bed in their suite. He complied when he saw the look of determination on her face, until another idea came to mind.

"Well since it appears that you are not in agreement of my first idea, how about you soak in a nice hot bubble bath before we go to bed. That'll probably help with the soreness".

"That's actually not a bad idea, but I've got a better one!" She said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"What are you up to McMahon?" He asked as she pushed into the sitting position on the bed and stepping between his legs.

"Oh well I was think that it's such a big tub and little ole me could get lost in there. I think I need my big strong incredibly gorgeous and sexy boyfriend to come with me and keep me safe." Steph said dramatically trying desperately not to dissolve into giggles.

"As tempting as that sounds, "the Game" doesn't do baths dear", he said unable to suppress a smile at the cute expression on his girls face. "But I'll be waiting for you right here when you're done!"

"You're really not coming?" She said in a fake pout fluttering her eye lashes trying to emphasize those beautiful eyes of her that he had just a while ago deemed irresistible.

"No, babe, but I'll be right here waiting when you come back"

"Really?" She said this jutting out her lip so that her pout would get even harder for him to resist. It had worked before in the past and she had a feeling that tonight it would too.

"Steph!" He whined. She knew better than to do that to him. He didn't know when he became so whipped to this woman but he had. He was completely head over heels in love with her. She had really ruined women for him too because now none of them could ever compare to her. She was just so beautiful and perfect for him.

She wasn't too clingy like his last ex; she could do her own thing. But at the same time, she wasn't too independent either, she always had time for him and if she was busy she made time. Her only problem was that she recently became well aware of the affect that she had on him and tended to use it at the worse possible times.

"Please" she said with her sweetest voice and with the pout… and well after that they both know who going to get her way then. She tried her hardest not to giggle as he rolled his eyes and lifted his body off the bed. He then wrapped his arm around her as they headed into the bathroom.

A little while later, after a very long and very hot bath, they wrapped in each other's arms enjoying the feel of each other's bodies. She lay her head on his chest as they enjoyed the silence in the room and the warmth of each other's embrace. His hands grazed over her shoulder before lightly grazing her bare back. It was then he remembered that pain she was in earlier and wondered if that bump left a bruise. He quietly winced as he saw the light purple color forming on her lower. He loved the storyline and working with her, but he wasn't really fond of the idea of her wrestling. He didn't want her to get hurt. He let his thumb graze lightly over the area that was most definitely not going to be pretty come tomorrow morning.

"Babe, are you sure you're ok?" Paul asked softly as let his finger graze over the spot lightly yet again.

"I'm fine baby, really! Besides, Daddy made me get it checked out earlier anyway. He claimed that I looked to be a little in pain. But he says that after every match so I just complied with his wished. The Tech said I might be sore for a couple days and there might be some bruising but other than that I'm fine." Steph said looking in those beautiful trying to get him to see that she was indeed fine so he would stop worrying.

"I'm just sorry I hurt you!" Paul said solemnly.

"Hey. Enough of that, I'm fine. Like my dad says all the time to the whiny newbie wrestlers that complain about being sore all the time, bumps are supposed to hurt. If you can't handle it, then this isn't the business for them. And well while it did hurt, I'm fine now." She said with that sweet smile of hers that always seemed to make her feel better, before he eyes went dark and her expression serious. "And trust me, babe, you more than made up for it in that bathtub. "

"Really now?" He asked with that sexy smirk that made her heart race a mile a minute.

"Really" She said before she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips before getting more forceful with the nest. Just when he was starting to get into her kisses, she pulled away and looked him dead in the eye with such intensity that is sent chills down his spine.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" She asked seriously.

"You have but I still love to hear it" He said before leaning in close and kissing her again. He could never resist those lips of hers.

"Well since you love hearing it and I love telling you. I love you so much Paul. It scares me sometimes because I have never been this in love before and don't think I could ever be again. You are it for me. I'm so lucky to have you. I mean you take crap from a lot of people for being with me and our relationship and you don't even seem to care. You make me feel so special. I just love you so much. "

Paul though his heart was going to explode at her words. This amazingly beautiful smart and funny girl felt lucky to be with him. She could probably have anything and everything she wanted. She probably could have any guy she wanted and yet she chose him. What got him the most wasn't just her words though; it was the look in her eye when she said them. It showed him that she truly meant every word.

"God, I love you". He said he grabbed her face and kissed her passionately rolling them over so that he was hovering over her body. He still couldn't believe that she felt lucky to be with him. They finally broke apart when air became an issue but they just couldn't keep their eyes off each other or their hands to themselves. HE was content to just stay that angle and admire her beauty, but his girl, on the other hand had different ideas as she leaned forward slightly before grabbing the back of his head to meet his lips and pull him down with her.

The feel of her body beneath him was driving him even more crazy than usual and he just couldn't her enough of her. Soon as the kisses became more passionate and the hands started roaming, he felt like he was going crazy right then and there. Never had just a single touch or kiss drove him wild like Steph's did. Yep, its official, women are ruined for Paul because it became clear in that moment that no other could ever come close to what he was feeling for this woman.

Paul Lévesque was a commitment phobic. In the past he just didn't do the long term commitments. Yeah he lived with Joan but they were already together all the time because of the traveling. It wasn't that big of a step. But Steph was different. She wasn't like the others before her and that scared him too. He was now thinking of the future, babies and big houses with big yards and fences. But only with her. He wanted a whole life with her. A life that'd last forever.

_God she's going to be the death of me_ he sighed to himself, feeling kind of dizzy as she continued to kissed his neck.


End file.
